At long last

As I type this, I'm sitting in the fourth grade class room. Playing Eve 6 on my laptop and watching them complete their work. I'm actually amazed at their ability to work independently and quietly. You wouldn't believe it. At least not the difference between how they are now and how they were when I got here. Seriously. All I do is write their work on the board, sit down with a book or my laptop and let them go. I may have to define a word or clarify my handwriting, but that's about it. They are really good. They tried pushing around the new volunteer, but I gave her my full support, and today she's already giving out prizes.

This weekend is Easter weekend. It will be weird not to be at church. I'm really missing those little munchkins! I'm planning to take the bus to Bangalore with Nikki on Friday. We'll be home Saturday night, so we can celebrate Easter with our babies. I'm pretty excited about it. Nikki is a lot of fun. Last night we sat in the lounge laughing hysterically at silly add on stories and playing stupid camp games and singing stupid camp songs. Yesterday she sketched me sitting in a chair.

I henna-ed Nikki and my feet the other day. It was fun. I think she's going to henna a robotic foot onto my other foot soon. How cool is that? Almost as cool as driven, intelligent, sweet and talented children. Almost.

I started reading "Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin today. It promises to be a fun read. I'm debating if I'll read "Stuart Little" or "The Last Unicorn" to the kids next. Or something else altogether. Hmm...

This weekend was so fun. Thursday we left right after lunch, the car was packed so tight that I had to sit on Nikki. There were three people in the front, four in the middle and two in the back with a massive amount of luggage. It wasn't too far though, only to Whitefield. There Arjun, Nikki, Jacques and I went to Jayashree's house. It was fun. She lives in a fabulous gated community that looks like it belongs more in Florida than India. We went to her club house to swim. It was great- there are five beautifully designed inter-connected pools. I felt so strange being in a bathing suit, not to mention seeing other people's skin. Seriously, it weirded me out. Then we ordered food from their entirely western menu, I had a BLT! So good! Then we went to Jayashree's sister's shop. It's a beautiful boutique. I bought a few presents there... I was relieved because there were a few people I was really struggling to buy something for.

After that Nikki and I caught a bus (all by ourselves, aren't you proud?) to Bangalore. It was really crowded, we got the last seat. By the end we got crammed in by tons of people, mostly women who were trying to get home from work. The brightly colored sea of salwar kamiz and saris was dizzying to look up at. It was so hot on the bus, and we were pretty tired after our busy day. We finally managed to get off the bus in Bangalore, but the traffic was so bad that we decided against trying to get to the hotel we planned to stay at, and just stayed at the first one we found. It ended up being a fun decision. We found a place for $10 with a clean bed, running water and HBO! Our room was full of lovely decorations: teal, white and gold leaf moulding, which towering over chipping tan paint coated in mud, which was above fake marble tiles that went about six feet high. On our wall was hung a poster which said "It is buxomnessof nature supports up man not "COMPUTER" " Really. We laughed endlessly about that. After we ditched our stuff we went out in search of provisions and felt very travel-capable, buying treats, getting water, etc navigating in a foreign city where people don't speak English. When we got back we had a little picnic, watched tv, and passed out.

We woke up in the morning and watched that movie with Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Cameron Diaz about trading houses. That was fun. Then we checked out and took an auto to commercial street and found our hotel. We checked in there and headed out for coffee. One machiatto and muffin later, I felt ready to face the day in the hot neon city of Bangalore. We met up with one of the teachers, Veena and had a day of fantastic girly shopping. I bought a bathing suit, which I needed, and Nikki and I bought some beautiful Indian outfits and Veena bought some clothes. We went to an amazing lunch. It was at this great restaurant called Three Quarters Chinese. It was an Indian-Chinese fusion restaurant, that really hit the spot. I loaded up on chicken and desert, especially watermelon. That was fun. Veena and I got our hair cut. I was a nervous wreck, don't ask me why, they did a great job. We ran into Elizabeth and Jack while we were wandering around shopping. Veena left to meet her friends and we set a time to meet Jack and Liz for drinks. So Nikki and I went back, got cleaned up and met them at their hotel. We went to a place called Fuga, where we each had one EXCELLENT cocktail, but since the drinks were a little pricey and no one was there, we decided to look for this place called NASA, where the inside is supposed to look like a rocket. In asking for directions, we a acquired a guide, Lucky Khan. He is a photographer from Bangalore. We offered to buy him a drink, and he ended up staying. We drank pitchers of Kingfisher, laughed and ate fries. Suddenly it was time for Elizabeth to go, and Jack took her to the airport. Since Nikki and I hadn't had dinner, we took Lucky's suggestion on a restaurant and ended up eating at an extremely non-touristy restaurant on the top of a building with a tree growing on the roof! It was amazing, open air and delicious.

The next morning we got up, bought blue cheese, ritz crackers and grapes and had them for breakfast- divine. We had a little picnic in the social area of our hotel. It was really funny. Then we found internet via wandering into serious non-tourist area and asking a rickshaw. It was kind of funny to be in the middle of non-tourist Bangalore, but it was really frustrating because the connection sucked, there were no USB ports and we didn't get much done. We went to the train station and bought train tickets for our trip to Cochin and Jog Falls. That's kind of cool. We only have to get ourselves to Whitefield the night the kids leave to get on the train. Should be fine.

After booking our tickets we got some lunch and caught a bus to Hosur (we're so proud of ourselves) and then we took an auto to Shanti Bhavan. I felt like a regular navigator.

Monday I had tap class. It was fun to play with the kids. Beena came, and she was really fun to have in class because she'd never done most of the stuff the other kids do.

Tuesday during choir we did all sorts of rounds. The choir really needs work on blending and intonation. Especially with all the fourth graders I added to the choir.

Wednesday during choir I let the kids watch parts of Sister Act I and II (just the singing parts). After watching that, they sang really well.

We're reading Stuart Little in class. It's really fun. The kids are learning a lot from it I think. They really need more time spent on reading. Just quiet reading and reading out loud will make a big difference I think.

Last night we watched a movie with Brad Pitt about the IRA, it was good. I'm a little under the weather though. I am taking Sudafed and Ibuprofen just to stay afloat. Nonetheless, I'm having fun.

This week I read Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury this week. I'm going to read Sense and Sensability over the next couple days. I don't know if we're going to read The Indian in the Cupboard, Labyrinth or something else entirely next. I haven't decided.

I burnt my popcorn this afternoon. Every time I turn my head I can smell it. It was the only popcorn I've bought since I've been here. I hate the smell of burnt popcorn. Ugh.

Ugh. They cut all the girl's hair today. It looks so bad.

Yesterday a three young women came to visit. One of those was a girl who graduated a year after me from Solon. Apparently she came to Shanti Bhavan a few years ago and was bringing her friends for a visit. It was all kinds of weird. She recognized me, but I hadn't the slightest idea, until she mentioned her sister, who graduated with me, and was in most of my AP's.

I was weirded out about it all day. Before dinner Nikki and I thought we were supposed to meet Nirmala, but she wasn't there. Instead there was a big group of children looking for her. Since we didn't find her, Nikki opened the art room and we ended up playing. It was amazing. The kids were being so creative. They were using objects props, drawing on chalk boards, playing together and laughing. I haven't had so much fun in a long time. After dinner we tried to practice for dance Nirmala wants us to learn, but most of us were not really into it, and I for one didn't do anything but laugh until I cried.

Saturday was fun. I slept in and went to watch a movie in Hindi with the third through fifth graders. Then I went through my belongings to sort between what I'm keeping, what I'm taking on my trip and what I'm giving to Shanti Bhavan. I talked to my mom, it's her birthday. She's going to the Melting Pot. What I wouldn't do for fresh vegetables and cheese. Mmmmm.

Whatever we want time

Hosur was fun. Nikki, Molly and I took an auto into town. We internet-ed, sari shopped, fruit shopped, unsuccessfully looked for a tailor, grocery shopped and ate lunch. Then we headed back to S.B. We weren't gone for long and it was nice to be so efficient. The town was decorated for some holiday. They had erected decorative ceilings for the roads and they were cool. Huge white thatched banners featuring brightly colored symbols of peace and love. I've grown accustomed to seeing the swastika everywhere. I have to say, my favorite was the swastika circumscribed by the star of David on the side of one of the huts at our hotel in Hampi. Neither of those symbols mean the same thing here.

After we got back I broke open the box of fruit loops (!!!) I bought and ate them until my tongue bled. I watched a little Tamil TV, what I like to think of as TamirVision, with Nirmala. Then I went in my room and just read and slept from afternoon until morning. I needed the break from people.

Sunday was nice. No one was around, since almost everyone else went to Bangalore. I went to breakfast, read, relaxed, danced with Nirmala and Nikki and generally enjoyed my holiday.

I'm pretty pumped to get my stuff together for my trip. I've settled on going to Kochin, Jog Falls, Goa, Yoga Study, Mumbai, Bangalore, Dance Study, Shanti Bhavan, Bangalore, London and NYC!!!!! It's a pretty laid back itinerary. Generally I get up in the morning and take a bus where I'm going or I take an overnight train where I'm going. I will have, except for the first week, mostly several days in one place. I'm planning to go to Kochin for two days, Jog Falls overnight, then get to Goa and play on the beaches until my Yoga study starts there. After my yoga intensive I'll train up to Mumbai. I want to do a ton of touristy stuff there. I plan to stay for five days. Then I'll train to Bangalore, where I'm planning a study of Bharatanatyum dance. Then I'll go back to Shanti Bhavan for a week and fly to London. I won't see the Taj Mahal, but I also won't be too stressed out and I'll get to do a lot of what I came here to do.

There's a new volunteer named Nicky. She's really cool. She's 20, from London and she's studying visual art.

Monday brought an impromptu performance for "important" visitors. The visitors turned out to be Siva Something-or-other, inventor of email and proud recipient of four MIT degrees, and his wife a model-turned-classic-Indian-dancer. He's currently working on integrating classical Indian medicine and Western medicine. After our performance, at which the choir sang a song in Tamil, Memory from Cats and Hey Jude by the Beetles, the KG performed Rubber Ducky and the fourth and sixth grades did a dance; the guy gave a great speech, but offended our British volunteer by calling Memory and Hey Jude 'American' songs. His wife said she plans to return to teach dance workshops at the school.

In the KG class I started teaching them a dance to "I Just Can't Wait to be King." It's going to be cute. I'm trying to encourage them to move creatively, by telling them things like "the next step is to fly like a parrot." I think it's more important to foster a comfort in their own skins and a sense of rhythm than to give them perfect form. My tap class is doing so well. They're really learning quickly. I am constantly surprised at how good at learning dances these kids are. In fact, the children who seem slow to me, are probably actually still better than average. There are two kids in my tap class I keep getting frustrated by because their tap sounds aren't clear and I have to explain a step five or six times for them to learn it. In the real world that still put them way ahead of the learning curve. It's just hard to remember when you're surrounded by so much talent.

I was both excited to finally have my own space and really sad about Elizabeth leaving. She really helped me, we got along great, I learned a lot by watching her journey, but I think it was both time for her to get back to her life and time for me to try out what I've learned on my own.

Tuesday was Elizabeth's last day. While the fourth grade and I played denial, I spent most of my day trying to make sure Elizabeth knew how much everyone came to love her here at Shanti Bhavan. I got some really cute videos of the kids saying they love her. I taught the first grade some of their part of "I Just Can't Wait to be King". They're so cute and funny.

At assembly Elizabeth and Jack performed some songs. Elizabeth sang a song to the kids about them being in her heart, then they sang a song Jack wrote the music for after a tenth grader gave him a poem to work with. Then they sang a song Jack wrote about two lizards and an enormous spider living in his bedroom. The kids loved it. Arjun, Molly, Tony and Joe rapped while Steve beat boxed and Jack played a baseline. It was so funny. The Shanti Bhavan rap was a big hit for novelty and enthusiasm if not for perfection. I say Shanti you say Bhavan. Shanti. BHAVAN. Shanti. BHAVAN. Doctor. GEORGE. Doctor. GEORGE. Mrs. LAW. Mrs. LAW. Then we sang "Whatever You Want Time" which Jack and Steve wrote right after the last volunteer show. We'd been singing it the lounge quite often and eventually ended up all writing our own verses. We all sang on the repetitious parts in harmony. It's quite cute. It went something like this:

(Jack)
It's not time for P.T.
It's not time for drinking tea
It's just time for being me
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Nikki)
It's not time for working
It's not time for playing
It's not time for sitting 'round in one place
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Steve)
It's not time for poetry
It's not time for those pesky short stories
It's just time to (...)
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Elizabeth)
It's not time for sleeping
It's not time for weeping
It's just time to sing my blues away
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Joe harmonica solo)

(Amanda)
It's not time to teach math
and it's not time to have a bath
it's sure not time for writing lots of stuff on the board
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Arjun)
It's not time for music
It's not time for bruisin'
It's not time for chemistry, gasses and all-a-that jazz
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Jacques)
It's not time for Janani
It's not time for triple five chick-y
It's just time for balls of ragi
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time

(Jack and Steve guitar solo)

(Elizabeth)
Now it's time for leavin'
and I'll soon be grievin'
but for now (...)
It's whatever I want time, whatever we want time

(All)
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time
It's whatever we want time, whatever we want time
And we can do whatever we want

I went to P.T. to spend some time with the kids and actually ended up watching the fourth and fifth grade boys play basket ball. It was so cute and funny. They all wanted to impress me. After about twenty minutes I went up to sit on our sunset rocks, write in my journal, watch the kids and read my book. I finished reading A Language Older Than Words, which Kleveland lent me before I came here. I taught the choir a round called Zum Gulli Gulli. It's a traditional Hebrew song. It's a great teaching round.

Wednesday was my first day back to "taking fully the fourth grade." I taught 2nd grade beginning of "Two Worlds", Taught third grade beginning of "You've Got a Friend in Me" it's sweet, they're doing little vignettes in front of the dance. I ended up staying up really late my first night alone. I couldn't sleep. I was restless. Stuff was strewn about the room in a chaotic manner left over over from the shock of half of the room's occupants leaving. I sorted through clothes. I made a pile of outfits. I started to pack my back pack for my travels. I put souvenirs in my suitcase that will stay at Shanti Bhavan while I'm away. I'm already feeling emotional about it. I watched The Last Unicorn twice and started Spirit before I finally got sleepy enough to fall asleep.

Thursday Kleveland's package arrived. A neighboring village was having a chariot festival and one of the maintenance crew took some of us volunteers. It was so cool. We arrived and the whole village was out, throwing bananas at the top of this enormous stone chariot, decorated in colorful fabric soaring 40 feet into the air and sporting a statue of some Hindu deity. After trying to hit the top of it with our bananas, we went to a local temple to be personally blessed. They did a special service just for us, including our names and blessing us with garlands. Well, blessing the boys with garlands, they handed the garlands to us girls, if they had put them on us, they'd have been marrying us. The priest also wouldn't touch us to put dots on our foreheads, whereas in most major cities they did. It was really cool, we were blessed with coconut water, flame, ringing bells, rice and chandan (the dots). The village leader made a speech about Dr. George "He is very helping my village." We were invited back to his house, where they fed us popol, yummy crunchy deep fried bread, SomethingIdidn'tcatchthenameof, a bread filled with sweet crumbly goodness, and Pakora, deep fried vegetables.

When we got back I watched the Ramayana in Hindi with the fourth grade. It was funny because they were so amused by what I looked like. That evening we had an end of tenth grade exams party. It was really fun. We danced and laughed and ate western food. The kids had their first cokes. It was so funny to watch! I made the mistake of having diet coke AND green tea close to bed time. I stayed up all night watching Top Chef.

Reading "The Giver" to the fourth grade is really great, we'll finish it Tuesday, no doubt. The kids are really getting into the library books I picked out for them. The turn over rate on those books is getting better. I think they're starting to realize how cool a good story can be.

On Thursday I had fourth grade for theatre games, we selected puppets, learned about characterization and the basic hand movement for puppet. In choir we did "Zum Gali Gali" in three sections, "One Bottle of Pop" starting on different sections, learned "The Goose Round" and did exercises on listening and singing as a choir as a whole. We did "Hey Jude" standing in a circle holding hands with our eyes closed singing quietly as possible. It really worked.

Friday I finished Top Chef between classes and started Three Cups of Tea during quiet work during class. We started writing the plot of our fourth grade puppet show. I started teaching the fifth grade a lyrical/ line dance piece to "Life's a Dance". (thanks Kleveland) The CD is great. That care package was like a little shot in the arm of home. It's working wonders.