Wednesday, August 1, 2012


Friday, August 10, 2012

“Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

Today is Friday, August 10, 2012. 

We had a great volunteer experience in India.  Stephen taking us to see the wonderful places to see and learn more about the Indian culture and history; and being in town of Porur, Chennai.

Today is my last day of teaching the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.  The children now get up and start class with physical exercise for 5-7 minutes and I will have to get them to stop for our lesson of the day.

Today 3rd grade – my lesson plan was - small creatures in the garden.  Some examples were butterflies, honey bees, centipedes, earthworms, and ants.  We also discussed diseases caused by some insects like dengue and malaria.

My second class- grade 4 – was presented about the home planet – different parts of the earth- the sunlight- sunrise-sunset; seasons of the year; number of days of the year; leap year, etc…

My 3rd class – grade 5th – was presented on World Health Day – April 7th- in Union School Puthakulan .  We covered subjects – the brain- sense organs – like eyes, ears, nose, taste.

We end each class with singing and the children love this.  I have really enjoyed trying to teach each grade and they are very loving children.  One little girl in the 3rd grade gave me a “happy friendship” day note.  Her name was Bharathnahi.

This week, two new people join our group – Gretchen and Amanda.  Gretchen is teaching at my school in the afternoon at Grace and Amanda is taking care of the children in daycare at Assisi.  We are glad to meet them and get to know one another

This week Haeja moved over to Grace school and she really is good at teaching them and they really love her.

Melissa and Amanda are still doing a great job with the day care and they love them a lot.

Today at Seam’s – I will start off with the group physical exercise and then demonstrate face washing to all children.  This is our last day at Seam’s and they are giving a special dinner tonight for all.  Thanks to everyone.

I have enjoyed my 2 weeks here in Chennai and thanks to all of you for all your help in making our volunteer trip so great.  A special thanks to Stephen and Sheeba for being great hosts and leaders.  Last but not least, thanks to Haeja for typing my reports on the computer.

Thanks to all,

Emma

Thursday, August 9, 2012

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” - Mother Teresa

Much to the team's surprise, today was a holiday for many of the schools due to Krishna's (one of the Hindu's gods) birthday. Instead of our usual assignments, we all went to Assisi's Children Home after breakfast. Due to the number of people going, Stephen rented an auto rickshaw to transport Amanda, Gretchen and Haeja to our destination. They reported it was a memorable experience. At Assisi, the team worked with the children who live there in groups of three or four. These children do very well in reading English and enjoyed the books we brought to share. After spending about two hours there, we returned to the guest house. This time Emma, Gretchen and I took the auto rickshaw. It was indeed a memorable experience. We, then, had another delicious meal. In the afternoon, Amanda, Emma and Gretchen visited two Catholic churches in Chennai. Each was in memory of a significant event that happened to Saint Thomas after he came to India as a missionary. Amanda told me that she was glad that Steven knew so much about these historical places. While they were visiting the churches, Sheba, Haeja and I went for a walk and visited a few local shops. Around five pm, the team left for SEAM's Children Home. Emma led the children and team members in stretches and exercises. The boys really get into it. Then Emma gave the children a lesson in proper hand-washing. The children each had the chance to demonstrate the skill. Next, Gretchen tutored Rajesh, Amanda worked with a group of boys on their English and Emma worked with several of the children one on one. Sheba, Haeja, Leah (the children's caregiver) and I washed all of the girls' hair. The children and adults at SEAM's know that Emma, Haeja and I are leaving soon and expressed sadness. We are sad too but the people India will never be forgotten. They have made an enduring impression on our lives.

Melissa



Wednesday, August 8, 2012

"if you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, aand avoid the people, you might as well stay home."  James Michener

Today, Wednesday, August 8, started out early with a trip to the flower and vegetable markets.  Chauffeured by our faithful  Stephen (brother), we experiended a genuine rush hour of traffic.  I will never complain about Chicago rush hours again.  Our first stop was the flower market at which we were confronted with the most amazing colors of mountain after mountain of flowers- baskets and bags and every other possible container.  The vegetable market was equally a magnificent display of every  possible vegetable.  Vendors were eager to have their pictures taken.  Trucks were rumbling by, filled to overflowing with produce.  It was a real assault on all of our senses.

      Returning home, marveling at Stephen's ability to avoid collisions, we were ready for breakfas  of rice cakes, chutney, and hard boiled eggs.  Everyone went off to their various assignments.  I have become accustomed to spen ding a quiet morning making plans and reading before I head off to Grace School in the afternoon.  I work with three groups, grades 3, 4, and 5, all no more than 4 students.  Because the groupls are so small, I am really  getting to know them.  I am not sure how much English they are learning, but they are a lot of fun.  As the last class was ending, we were greeted with a very welcome rain shower. 

     At SEAMS, the children were given a lesson in  tooth brushing..  I continued working with Rajesh whom I really like.  He is working on his pronunciation and just building his self-confidence in speaking English.

     The day ended with a wonderful traditional supper prepared by Stephen and Sheba.  We were served on banana leaves a variety of wonderful dishes including a delicious couscous.  We were shown by Stephen the best way to eat with our fingers, a skill which I have yet to master. 

     The day presented us with a wonderful variety of experiences, as has every day , which reinforces the quotation.  What is the point of travel if we do not immerse ourselves in everything.

Gretchen



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

"Traveling can be a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it."  Cesare Pavese

Our day began with another of Rani's delicious breakfast's of omelette, couscous, tomato chutney, tea and mango slices.
Melissa and I set off for Assisi as Emma and Haeja left for Grace. The children seemed slightly more mellow today, if mellow is even a word that can be used to describe twenty 2-4 year-olds. When we arrived, they were singing and dancing to a video of children's songs and nursery rhymes and I was struck by the pure joy children seem to exhibit when they move their bodies to music. Well, that and when there are stickers in the vicinity. Melissa gave out stickers to the children, which they promptly affixed all over their hands and faces.

We also had story time later in the morning, and I was amazed by Catherine's ability to keep a captive audience with most of the children for a good five minutes as she told the story of four cows. Melissa and I told stories too, of the Three Little Pigs and The Boy Who Called Wolf, with Catherine and Sheeba translating, to slightly less success in keeping the children's attention.
We returned home to have lunch with Emma, Haeja and Sheeba as my mother embarked to Grace. Since it was just the ladies at lunch, we got to learn about the rituals and ceremonies that accompany the advent of young girl's monthly cycles, which was conveniently wrapped up just as Stephen returned. Haeja and Emma reported a good morning at Grace, with the only notable feature being a power outage at 11 a.m.

While my mom was at Grace having the children interview each other in front of the class, Sheeba, Haeja, Melissa and I took a walk to the pharmacy, ATM and grocery store. We were able to secure anti-itch cream at the pharmacy after some discussion with the pharmacist which was greatly assisted by Sheeba's translation skills and Melissa's nursing skills.
After a little rest, we embarked to SEAM and were greeted as usual with a swarm of handshakes. Emma and Melissa began by leading the children in a series of physical exercises, which they seemed to thoroughly enjoy. Melissa, Haeja, Emma and I worked with the younger children while my mom worked with Rashid on his pronunciation and interview skills. At dinner, we learned about how Rashid came to be atSEAM, which I think left us all in awe at his resilience.

And now I am off to bed, as four of us are off to the Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable Market tomorrow at 6:45 before breakfast. Quite an early start, but I'm sure it will be worth it for what promises to be tantalizing experience for our senses.

Amanda



Monday, August 6th, 2012

“There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle” – Albert Einstein

Happy Monday! 

First of all, what an amazing weekend we had!  It was filled with ancient, charming and incredible stories about the Hindu Temples and Rock Carvings, as well as the process of making silk.  Stephen Raja and his brother, “the real" Stephen took Emma, Melissa, and myself to see some of these breathtaking sites in Chennai.  To simply put it – definitely unforgettable!  Thank you, Stephen brothers.

Also this weekend, we had two more ladies join our volunteer group.  A mother and daughter team – Amanda, who’s getting her Master’s in Psychology lives in Minnesota and her mom, Gretchen is a teacher from Chicago (one of my all time favorite cities).  To welcome our new addition to the team, Stephen, Sheba, and Roshen treated everyone to a delightful traditional Chennai cuisine dinner on Sunday.  Fantastic!

So, for my 2nd week here, I asked to be placed at Grace School, to spend time with the slightly more mature children.  Although, I’ve enjoyed myself at Assisi, I thought that I would really love to meet more new people, since my time here is limited.  Stephen granted my wish.

Wow! Talk about manic Monday! Not in a bad way, though.  I’m referring to how the upper-kindergarten kids welcomed me.  I felt like a rock star!  My nervousness, then, slowly went away and it was smooth-sailing from there.  We talked, we sang, we counted, and we jumped up and down.  My agenda was the same for the 1st and 2nd graders.  By the way, Emma was next door hanging out and dancing with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders; while Melissa and Amanda were playing with the wild ones at Assisi.  Gretchen was preparing for her afternoon class back at the guest house. It was a productive morning, indeed.

Monday evening at SEAM’s Children’s Home, we were greeted with such joy and excitement, as  usual – it never gets old!  Amanda and Gretchen were introduced to the kids.  We all tutored three students each between the hours of 5:30-7pm.  Mission accomplished!

Haeja



Friday, August 03, 2012

“Everything you can imagine is real”. – Pablo Picasso

Today is Friday, August 03, 2012 and Emma is having a wonderful experience with all the loving children.  They now come up to me and hug or wrap around me.

I am teaching the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.  Today, I started my 3rd grade with a physical exercise for 5-7 minutes.  They like to do this now.  My lesson plan was “Germination” of seeds – peas, tomatoes, cabbage, mustard, medical plants (Tuile, Thumbal Keezhanetis and Malabar Nut).  We had a book demonstration of plant in soil, water, and sunlight to germinate the seeds.

 Second phase was special senses of animals.  Name of animals in a picture: elephant, lion, monkey, deer, rabbit, tiger, parrot, snake, and bees.

Activities:

·       ant’s ear – you walk by a dog and he raises its ears, you and other children eat under a tree.  Which animal comes to get your food?  Dogs, cats, & birds.

·       Senses of animals

·       Animals can see most colors

·       Ox and crocodile can only see black and white

·       Honey bees cannot see red

·       During the night, the eye sight of a tiger is six times of a man.  The roaring sound of a tiger is 3 kilometers away.  The tiger can turn ears in all directions and can hear swaying of leaves and other animals walking.  It can feel the vibration of the air through its whiskers and by this can find prey and walks about at night.

Grade 4th & 5th class:

Today, I noticed the flag pole in assembly hall and the flag pole had no flag.  Answer was only – fly flag on Mondays.  Why?  I don’t know.

Today, we ended each class with sing around the mulberry bush.  The children are getting more attentive and I really enjoy them.

I had four girls at SEAM Children’s home.  Finding objects in one picture that wasn’t in the other one.  Each girl liked this exercise very much.  The boys schedule today was to have their hair washed.

Emma


Thursday, August 2, 2012.

“To do what you love and feel that it matters... what could be more fun” -Katherine Graham

It is hard to believe that we have been here almost a week. We have experienced and learned so much in the little time we have been here. The team has settled into a comfortable routine. Today Haeja and I went to Assisi with Stephen and Sheba. Roshan, their 4 year old son, did not have school today so he also went to Assisi. I really enjoy playing with the children. They love looking at the books we bring. Today we also helped take the children's clothes (from the Assisi's Children Home)off the clothes line and fold them. One of my favorite times is lunchtime. Some of the children need assistance eating and I have fun helping them. Emma went to Grace School again. She said there was a guest and so things were a little more disorganized. In India, you quickly learn to go with the flow.

In the afternoon, we went to Stephen's house and ate lunch. His family is so warm and welcoming, especially his mother. His mother said, “You came to my house and ate my food. You make me so happy.” She showed us a family picture album. After visiting, we returned to the guest house to rest and prepare for the evening.

In the evening, Emma and Haeja went to the Seams Children's Home. Emma directed aerobic exercises again. Then Haeja and Sheba washed 10 girls' hair with lice killing shampoo. Emma tutored some of the children one on one. She said it was enjoyable experience.

Another day is done. I have come to the conclusion that the Indian people are giving us so much more than we are giving them.

Melissa




Wednesday, August 01, 2012


“Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness, Only Light Can Do That.  Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate, Only Love Can Do That.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


Vanakkam Chennai!


This is my 4th day in India – still loving the food and still in awe about how locals drive around – very impressive!

Anyway, here’s a list of my highlights for Wednesday:

·         Playing “London Bridge is Falling Down” with the Assisi Illam kids and chasing a few of them around with, I believe, a beaver hand-puppet.  That was crazy-fun!
·         Chatting it up with Sister Rose – She is one beautiful, yet fierce lady.  I found out that she has 7 siblings, two of which are also nuns.
·         Shopping at the Government Store.  This was our first outside “group activity”.  There were so many colorful and interesting local hand-crafted products such as, earrings and necklaces, wallets and purses, toys and figurines.  I wanted to purchase so many things but was able to control myself, since I’m on a budget.
·         And of course, our ever-so-enthusiastic children at SEAM!!  We started out our evening with Emma leading a brief aerobic exercise.  Everyone enjoyed themselves! Then, the three students that I met with- Sandil, Anand, and Tamil- did excellent with their flashcards and reading.  Bravo Gentlemen!!

‘Til next time.

Haeja



Tuesday, July 31, 2012

“Don’t Cry Because Its Over, Smile Because It Happened” – Dr. Seuss

Hi! This is Emma from Oklahoma,  the Sooner State,  with Global Volunteers.  Today is Tuesday, July 31, 2012. 

I have 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at Grace school.  When I arrived at 9:20 am, the students are having an assembly and singing songs or listening to directions for the day.

We start with classes at 9:30-10:15 for grade 3.  I have four children and they have a lot of energy.  All students dress in uniforms of skirt, blouse, and tie.  Boys wear shorts or long pants. 

Our second day of class was on info about deers, turtles, crows, and mice; and how they help the people in food, environment, and life.

Today, we did songs and dance with the “Hokey Pokey “ and “Old Mac Donald Had a Farm”.  The children had a great time.

Then we had a break from 10:15-10:30.  Next, I have 4th and 5th graders.  Grade 4, we covered foods from plants.  Grade 5, we covered science in pollination, fertilization, and plants. 

The children are great and they love to write on the blackboard and sing. I am amazed at how well they have mastered English and write in English.

I love working with the children.   We have great food and a great leader, Stephen.

Emma





Monday, July 30, 2012

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them” Mother Teresa

Today was our first full day. Emma went to school while Haeja and I helped out at Assisi Day Care. The children were full of energy and many were not very happy. Lots of tears today. Sheba and Stephen said Mondays are usually like that. We sang songs and recited rhymes with the little ones. The children warmed up to us and were asking their new “akkas” to read and play with them. Emma enjoyed showing the children in her classes American currency. She turned it into a math game for them.

After lunch, Emma, Haeja, and I worked on lesson plans for tonight and tomorrow. We decided to take flashcards and books with us to Seam Children's Home. Once there, each of us worked one on one with a child for 20 minutes. Then a new child would be assigned to us. I helped each one read a book about Harold and the purple crayon. It was tough work for them but they succeeded at reading at least half of the book!!

Now the day is complete. I feel like I already have a lot to process from this experience but I am looking forward to another day of working with the children.

Melissa





Sunday, July 29, 2012

“Nothing  Is Unless Our Thinking Makes It So”  --William Shakespeare

Orientation Day.  This morning, over breakfast, I got to meet Emma, from Oklahoma, and Melissa, from Indiana.  Both of these ladies are nurses and are here in Chennai with me to learn, love, inspire, and teach.

This is my first time in India and first time being involved with an international volunteer group, such as Global Volunteers.  Needless to say, I was a bit nervous coming here. When I arrived yesterday,  I was, however, relieved when I finally met our Family Host –Stephen, Sheba, their son-Roshen, Rani – the chef, and Barnabas- the house “watchman”.  They have all been warm and welcoming, hospitable and friendly.

Today, after going over our schedule, assignments, etc…with Stephen, we got to spend a couple of hours in the early evening with a group of vibrant, young kids at SEAM Children’s Home.  These little ones were full of life and amazing energy.  It was overwhelmingly positive.

Another positive note is that every dish that I have tried since I got here yesterday has been fantastic.  I can’t wait to try more traditional Indian food.

I have an exciting 2 weeks ahead of me.  I am so eager to learn about the rich culture of Chennai; to spend time with the children, and to meet new friends.

Haeja


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