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.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
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