Monday June 2

There was quite a bit of confusion leading up to today as to whether or not the older kids had school or not we found out once we got to Assisi that they did, so sara and I spent our time playing with sophie, john, george and jasmine. They were all very rambunctious, and we were kept on our toes. I was lucky enough to learn how to make an Indian dish called vada, which is grated bottle gourd fried with lentils and other tasty ingredients. There weren’t many organized activities we could do with the kids today because they are so young.

We were pretty tired when we got back to the guest house, but after a quick rest we were ready to go see the kids at Seam Children’s Home. There were about ten of them there, and more were scheduled to arrive tomorrow. We knew in advance that they were going to be a little older, so we brought the masks we had prepared yesterday. They were quite a hit and they all drew very colorful designs with the markers Sarah brought. Unfortunately we ran out of ribbon to tie them onto their heads, so we’re going to bring more tomorrow. As we are expecting more of them as well, we are planning on cutting up more masks for the new kids tonight.

Chantal

Sunday June 1

Today was a day off for Chantal and I. We decided to take advantage of the free time to come up with a craft for the children to do this week. We have a cabinet of supplies in the guest house and decided to take a look through it. We were lucky to find some paper, scissors, pretty ribbon and a hole punch. We decided to make face masks that the children would be able to decorate themselves. We figured it best to cut out the masks and punch the eye holes beforehand, so we spent the afternoon watching Seinfeld re-runs on my laptop and making tons of little face masks. There is some confusion here over when school is meant to start. Hopefully we will still have some older children at Assisi who can enjoy our craft.

Stephen and Sheeba also moved in with us at the guest house today so the four of us went out to the restaurant at Grand Residence down the street. It is nice to have been here long enough to be able to say that we have a favorite booth at that place! Dinner was delicious as always. Tonight, Chennai was also playing Rajasthan in the cricket finals. Unfortunately, Chennai lost the match. It is funny that after only 3 weeks here I was really hoping for a Super King victory!

Sarah

Saturday, May 31

I’m pretty sure that I can speak for all of us when I say that one extra hour of sleep can really do you good! We slept in until nine o’clock this morning and it was luxurious. This morning’s breakfast was Keith’s last meal at the guest house, and we were lucky enough to be treated to Pouri bread as all of us really love it. We headed off to drop Keith at the airport afterwards. Sarah and I both wish him a safe flight and an amazing time in Agra, visiting the Taj Mahal.

For our Saturday we went back to the government-run store that we pillaged in our first week so we could get one last gift for our families in Canada. It was a successful venture. After a quick rest and lunch at the guest house, we went to an authentic Kollywood theatre to see a movie. Inside is wonderfully air-conditioned and scented, and there are assigned seats as opposed to the free-for-all we are used to at home. They have the volume up really loud because here it is okay to talk during the film, and the sound of cell phone ringtones adds to the movie’s soundtrack. The movie we saw was action, romance, suspense and a musical all thrown into one. It was fairly easy to follow, which was good because neither of us speaks a word of Tamil. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Chantal

Friday, May 30

Today is my last official day as a volunteer and I have a long travel day tomorrow.
Today I tried to spend more time with the youngins, teaching them the alphabet as best as they could grasp it. Sometimes I would have a child who was slightly older than the other, and so was going along faster, and a few of the boys were more interested in playing with the letters and causing havoc as opposed to learning,

As the 12:00 hour approached and the little ones headed off for lunch, and after 2 hours of the same lesson plan over and over, I was ready to focus on the older ones now, but there were only a handful of them playing on the computer. Stephen came by shortly thereafter and we were able to round up some of the older kids, and we ended up playing monkey in the middle while some played on the computer. While I’m sure none of the kids remember my name as anything other than Uncle or Auntie, I still wanted to at least say goodbye to them. It would be great if I could put a little tracking device on them so I could see if anything I did stuck with them 5-10-15 years down the line, so I can only hope that at some point in Abirami or Cyril’s life, or any of them, if they need to know the capital of Vietnam or where India is on the map or what their name is in French, they will know the answer and maybe even remember it was because of Uncle from America.

As I have watched Sarah and Chantal with the kids in Assisi this week, I’ve noticed how almost boundless their energy is with them, and it impressed me. It could be the result or combination of any number of factors, from me being their ages combined or them just simply having that much more love of children or that I have more friends and family at home with kids than you can shake a stick at, but regardless why, I couldn’t match their energy levels. I enjoyed the kids there and they seemed to take a liking to me, so I made sure to say goodbye to them as well before heading back to the guesthouse. I won’t be surprised if I find out later on down the road that the girls cried as they were leaving at the end of their third week. They really have a fondness for the kids there.

It has been a fascinating 2 weeks in India, on the back of 2 weeks in Cambodia on a similar type adventure, and tomorrow I hope to go to make it to Agra to see the Taj Mahal before heading to France on the next leg of my journey.

2 months ago, after having spent a week in Hanoi, I truly felt like I experienced it, as opposed to having just seen it, and I can honestly say the same about India. It may not have been the most comfortable at times, but I do believe I now have a true sense of what it is like to live in India, and I have to thank Global Volunteers for that experience, especially Stephen and the others on the staff here at the guesthouse.

One final note worth mentioning. A uniquely Indian trait is the "nod". It doesn't matter what the scenario, if an Indian person wants to say "ok" or even "yes" it seems, rather than shaking their head affirmatively like we do, they have this side to side, tilt left and right like a bobblehead shake that says it for them. It takes a bit of getting used to, as at first you think they are saying no, or maybe have some type of mental affliction, haha, but after a while, it is actually kind of endearing.

PS Mango season just kicked into high gear and they are extremely juicy right now.

Keith

Thursday May 29

Today was a great day at Assisi Illam. I discovered that one of the children, Isaac, is incredibly ticklish. He loves when I pick him up and throw him over my shoulder or hang him upside down with one arm and tickle him with the other. Of course, once I did this one time, he was permanently attached to my hip for the rest of the day. He would say “Auntie! Auntie!” and act out a tickling motion until I grabbed him up again. I didn’t mind one bit, even though today was one of the hottest days we’ve had yet! The other children saw what was going on and wanted their turns as well. I’m sure I’ve grown some new muscles in my arms just from today! They laughed so much that we were hushed by one of the nuns. I’m so glad that I can bring them so much joy.

Tonight, we were lucky enough to meet some of Stephen’s family. his parents, his brother’s wife, her mother and his brother’s new baby boy. They were such nice people. It is amazing to see just how similar people basically are, despite whatever differences in their countries. Next week, Stephen and his wife Sheeba will be moving into the guest house with us. She is going to teach Chantal and I how to make Poori bread, which should be great!

Sarah

Wednesday May 28

It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through our program here. Keith is already leaving on Friday! Time flies when you’re busy, and I’m sure the kids at St. Joseph’s are going to miss him a lot, especially since he’s taught them so much.

Today at Assissi Illam the children danced up a storm to the likes of The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and the genius behind the Macarena! They especially loved that one, since there’s an easy dance to go along with it.

Tomorrow is the birthday of one of the older girls, Mary that works there. Sarah and I walked down to the friendly convenience store to order a cake for her, which should be a nice treat for everyone tomorrow. There are two other older girls who help out at Assissi Illam, Jaclyn and Stella, who did our hair today in the Indian style. Mine is too short to do much with, but Sarah had a nice new braid to go along with the flowers they put in our hair. It’s nice to do such normal girl things sometimes!

Chantal

Tuesday May 27

As my second and final week continues, I am still developing my teaching techniques. I seem to have gravitated from simultaneously teaching both the younger children (2 at a time, just the alphabet) and the older ones, to just teaching the older kids how to use the computer, math skills and geography, with a touch of French interspersed in there. These are topics I myself enjoy, and have also been a benefit to me in my life, so it gives me joy when one of the kids appears to comprehend and retain what it is they are learning.

Keith