Sunday – January 13^th, 2013

Do not take lightly small good deeds,
Believing they can hardly help,
For small drops of water one by one
In time can fill a giant pot

After breakfast we had our orientation
We learned about our fellow teammates:
where they lived; about their families, and
about previous work experiences

Next we found out where we would be working:
Assisi Illam, Seam, and Grace Nursery and
Primary School. Because of the Harvest Festival,
our schedule for the first three days will be different.
Four will paint at Grace School and three will work
with the children at Assisi Ilam

Our goals were determined:
1. To serve children
2. To teach English
3. To develop cultural sensitivity
4. To meet and work with like minded people
5. To be with Stephen

Characteristics of an effective work team included:
to listen, to cooperate, to respect, among others

The Philosophy of Global Volunteers were reviewed well
and the 12 essential services were discussed. We had a
short language session. After lunch we had free time.
Some people went shopping. Others sat around the table and talked,
a few caught up on their sleep.

At five we went to the SEAM Children's Home. We met the younger
children, the older children were at camp.Then the children sang songs
to us. Later, each child chose a volunteer to look at their books with them.
Lastly, they took us to roof see their garden which they are taking care of

The day ended with dinner at a wonderful restaurant. The food was
delicious, but I can not remember the names of the dishes. There were
all sorts of combinations of fruits, vegetables, and spices in addition
to meat dishes. The most exciting part of the excursion was crossing the
the highway. Christina and I were very surprised when we got to the other
side.

 

Jeanne

 

Monday - January 14, 2013

 

“Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded”   Jesse Lair

 

Our first day “on the job” is also an important holiday in Tamil Nadu:  Pongal;  a celebration of the harvest, or Thanksgiving.  Therefore schools are closed.

 

       After breakfast, Pat, Christine, and UnaMarie went to Assisi. The children at Assisi were found to be very lively…wild even between activities.  But stories were successfully read by the volunteers and children; flashcards were employed and finally the coloring pages came out and were very popular.

 

Pepper, Jeannie, Peabody & Kristina went to Grace to repaint desks and benches while the children were on holiday.  Preparing the furniture (scraping, sanding) turned out to be pretty strenuous work.  It was a relief to finally pick up the paint brushes and start painting.  3 desks were completely painted blue.  Several volunteers also exhibited unusual blue striping!

 

After lunch a lively discussion with Stephen ensued, covering such topics as foreign adoption and political corruption.

 

At 5, the team arrived at SEAMS for alphabet and numbers work.  The wide range of abilities and attention spans challenged everyone’s teaching skills.

 

Dinner was delicious, but unusually quiet as the team was worn out after their first full day.

 

Kristina

 

Wednesday - January 16^th, 2013

 

“Dogs wear coats.”

 

Over lunch Pepper asked Stephen about his earliest impressions of America and he talked about how big everything is and how cold St. Paul, Minnesota is in December. When he mentioned having stopped over in a subsequent trip for a few days in New York, she asked what he thought about that. With his beautiful smile and engaging laugh, he replied, “Dogs wear coats.” Of course we all joined him in his warm-hearted appreciation of how different everything - except basic human kindness - can seem between our two countries.

 

The painters took off for a last day of scraping, sanding and painting the steel desks and benches at Grace School. During the night, six of each of those that had been finished had moved into the classroom where they will be a delight to the students who return to school tomorrow after the three day Pongal school holiday.  By day’s end, all the remaining desks and benches were done – thanks in no small part to the hard work and valuable directions of our patient foreman, Barnabas.

 

At lunch, the crew that had spent the morning at SEAMS Childrens Center reported on the high point of their morning. Three generations of a local family – grandmother, parents, aunty, and the three year old daughter came to the center to share the daughter’s birthday cake with the children at SEAMS.

 

After lunch we had a special treat: a trip to the Pongala festivities at Marina Beach. On the third and final day of Pongala, families gather at the beach where rides and games and food vendors set up for the occasion. Many families approached us to introduce themselves and have their children practice English by talking with us. Everyone was dressed in holiday finery and we were enchanted by all the beauty and joy around us. And the ride there afforded us a wonderful opportunity to see more of the city. A tremendous amount of the acreage is wooded – the sites of many universities and memorials – including a large and meaningful one honoring Gandhi. Stephen explained that this part of town had begun as a forest in which these institutions were later built. 

An early dinner as delicious as we have come to expect and now a quiet and early night.

 

Peabody

 

Thursday – January 17^th, 2013

 

In Girl Scouts we have a song “Make new friends, but keep the old”, and that is surely true for Global Volunteers.   This is the 3^rd time I’ve come with an old friend and found a group of wonderful, helpful new friends.

 

The usual crew of early birds was going by 5:30.   After coffee I tried to wash my own clothes and realized that dirt is sticking in them and after the 3^rd unsuccessful rinse, realized that I should let someone else take care of something, so I have given in to needing help.

 

After our lovely morning prayer song, we had a satisfying breakfast with eggs and fruit.  Christina and Peabody left first to paint pink walls, and they actually were the last ones back.  Hard working duo!   Jean and Pepper left for new assignments at Grace School where they had classes to themselves.   Luckily there were small classes since all of the children hadn’t return yet from the holiday.  

 

Pat, Christine and I left for Assisi where we had the little ones for the first time.   When we arrived they were having snacks all sitting so nicely on the floor.  Two were experiencing their first time ever and the little boy was quietly sobbing while the girl was shrieking.  They didn’t want to be comforted, but I sat close to the boy while he struggled to put on his shoes he had hidden away from the others under a rug.  They only had to stay 2 hours for the first day.  We then took small groups to read stories and let them hold books.   Afterwards we did a lot of songs and action games together.  Some seemed to know some of them and especially all wanted to be caught in London Bridges falling down.   We changed to singing longer, so they didn’t know when they would fall. 

 

The last thing we did was to help some of the little ones eat their lunch.   They so willingly took the beet colored rice off our fingers.  What darling sweet children!   If we only spoke Tamil!  A few started to lie down on their mats without a fuss before we left.   The teacher said they might sleep for 2 hours.

 

After lunch, Stephen drove Stephen, Roshan, Christine and I to the train station to get our tickets to Coonoor.  Luckily we had our wonderful Stephen along to help with forms and get us through the crowded station.   A great good fortune was the senior price made our ticket much less than we had thought.   Leaving the station we thought we lost Christine and I panicked, but Stephen panicked worse when he realized she was taking pictures.   That is no longer allowed in stations since a Pakistani  American used photos to plan the attack in Mumbai.   The return traffic was the worse we have seen.  I don’t know how drivers can negotiate it every day.

 

Back at the guest house we set out to SEEMS with our lessons for the day.  At 6:20 the shoppers left Pat and I on our own with 2 lovely teen-aged girls who read to us, talked about camp, and enjoyed our art project. The held our hands negotiating the dark stairs down from the room.  Barnabas came with a bicycle and a tuck tuck to bring us home to no lights.  He said they had gone out again after they came on,  and fixed us up with candles and battery lights.   We got our flashlights and had candle light dinner.   When the lights came back on Barnabas came back to check on us. We went over our songs for tomorrow and went to bed early.

 

 Una Marie

 

Friday – January 18^th, 2013

 

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people you might better stay at home.  – James Michner

 

Awoke early to the sounds of conversation…Sheeba’s father arrived for a three day visit from far southern India where Sheeba grew up and he still lives.   Like families all over the world early mornings begin with conversation around a cup of coffee or tea.  Sheeba’s father brought fruit from the home place to share with the volunteers…jack fruit, red and green bananas.  The rest of the house is sleeping in this AM after a long day of painting, teaching and shopping at the Gold and Textile store.  Whether you bought or just drank in the incredible array of choices, the ride to and from provided a thrill and a few “Oh my God” moments.  The crush of humanity that is an evening drive in Chennai continues to amaze me.  We left for our assignments this morning, teachers and painters to Grace School and teachers to Assisi.  We all returned for lunch very tired in our own ways.  Special thoughts go out to the painters who are continuing to brighten up the space for the children and staff at Grace School.  The afternoon found us all once again shopping, this time at “The Cottage”, a government of India undertaking to support the cottage industries and local craftspeople.  We did our best to boost the Indian economy.  We then returned to Seams and to our nightly teaching.  The children continue to challenge and enchant us.  Home for dinner, conversation and early to bed as we have an early wakeup call for breakfast before our journey to Pondicherry.  Don’t forget your passports!  

 

Pepper

 

 Monday – January 21^st 2013

 

Today, we went back to work after a wonderful trip to the temples at Kanchipuram and puducherry to walk along the beach. The next day we visited the ashram, Auroville and the rock carvings at Mamallapuram. They were amazing

 

Today, at the guest house we had no electricity. Pepper and Jean each taught three grades at the Grace school. They encouraged conversational English, taught numbers, and sang songs. At one point they sang Bingo to calm the students down. Meanwhile, Peabody and Kristina prepared windows for painting and finished all the blue of the front gate. They noticed that when the children came to eat in the courtyard, a congress of crows followed to clean up after them. At Assisi Christine, Una, and I played games, sang songs, and told stories to the children. At lunch some of the children needed to be fed.

 

Christine and Jean missed lunch to have a massage, a deep message. In the end it was very relaxing and both would go back again.

 

At lunch the rest of us discussed politics with Stephen, which was very helpful in understanding Indian government

 

At Seams, this evening, Kristina taught the children how to wash hands. They put a substance on the children’s hands which glowed under a special light and them wash their hands. If they came back and there was a glow on their hands, they had to go back again until their hands were clean. The rest of us taught English and Math as usual.

 

A different world cannot be created by indifferent people.

 

Pat

 

Tuesday – January 22^nd, 2013

Many of the team members left the guesthouse at 6:30 AM to go to the morning market which included a flower market and a fruit and vegetable market. They returned with a beautiful cauliflower, a watermelon and two bunches of flowers. One bunch of flowers was for Sheeba and the other was for Stephen's mother. We will bring the flowers to her when we go to her house for lunch tomorrow.

After another delicious breakfast, the team went to the usual assignments: Uma, Kristine and Pat to Assisi, Peabody and Christina to Grace to continue the never ending painting, and Pepper and Jeanne to Grace to teach. The gate at Grace with its bright blue background and gold colored design looks fabulous after all of Peabody's hard work.

The highlight of the afternoon was a cooking class taught by Sheeba. She taught us how to make idli dough, chappatis, cauliflower, cauliflower masala, and peanut chutney. The real excitement was provided when the chutney processor caught fire during grinding. It was quickly extinguished and no major harm occurred.

After the usual afternoon downtime the team went to Seam to work with the children there. They are a very highly energized, lively group and it is a challenge to hold their attention for any length of time. Back to the guesthouse for early dinner, conversation about the day's activity and plans for tomorrow.

And so ended another day of challenge and satisfaction knowing that whatever we contribute it is meaningful to those receiving our contribution. It is sometimes difficult for those of us of a western background to slow down and accept the fact that our contributions are not measured by our expectations but by the satisfaction of the ones receiving.

Small actions with intent will transform things

 

Jeanne

 

 

Wednesday – January 23^rd, 2013 

 

Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.  - Mother Theresa

 

Morning found us all at our usual assignments.  The Assissi-ites played games, sang songs and fed children.  The same little boy who cried yesterday continued to be inconsolable.  Grace School saw Pepper and Jeannie feeling more confident with their students.  The painters finished some projects, but there is always more to paint.

 

We all had the wonderful opportunity to have lunch at Stephen’s parents house.  We met both his parents as well as his brother Stephen’s wife and 2 year old daughter Monica.  The family was so gracious.  And the lunch was a true feast.  Vadas were a new treat for most of us.

 

Back at the house, we prepared for Seams, rested, then did our one-on-one tutoring.  Everyone seems to have found their footing amongst these delightful kids.

 

After another tasty meal, politics was again the subject of conversation.  Evaluation forms were distributed and everyone retired after a full and satisfying day.

 

Kristina

 

Friday - January 25^th, 2013

 

Our last day here as a team was also a school holiday at Grace School. So Pepper and Jeanne, who have been teaching there, split up: Jeanne joined the usual painting crew and Pepper went to Assisi Ilam with the three usual teachers there.

 

Painting is a never-ending process, but more progress was made. Una and Christine said their farewells to the children at Assisi. Pat will be staying om for another week.

 

Afternoon was spent in preparations for leaving tonight and tomorrow. At 4:45, as uaual, we all went to SEAMS, where we played soccer with the boys for anhour. Then the children sang and danced and wished us all farewell.

 

We are sad to leave these delightful children and glad that a new team will pick up where we have left off. And after them another and another and another will join this stream of care for these delightful kids.

 

Peabody

Saturday - December 29^th, 2012 (Margaret)

 

Thought for a day - Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can.  John Wooden

 

Robin with team 119 welcomed in Barbara on Friday at 2:00 A.M.   Barbara is from Connecticut. She traveled from JFK to London to Chennai and arrived on December 28^th.      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Rae traveled from California to London to Delia to Chennai and arrived Saturday after 5 pm.  Margaret traveled from Columbus. OH to Atlanta, GA to avoid the bad weather in the East coast – Amsterdam, Netherlands to Mumbai to Chennai and arrived on Saturday at 5 am.  She was so happy to find her checked in luggage after waiting an hour the power kept going out so the turn table did not run. 

 

Rain Rain Go Away

Global Volunteers Want to Play

Electric Electric Please Come Back

Air Conditioning and Charging Our Phone are an American Fact.

 

Lunch :  Chicken and rice, egg plant and yogurt and onions.  I had lunch late because getting in at 6:00 A.M. I needed some sleep.

 

Sunday – December 30^th, 2012 (Margaret)

 

Thought for the day: If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

 

Orientation:  We are Global Volunteers number 120 and our choices are:

Assisi Illam - Kindergarden in the morning

SEAM Children Home - 5 to 7 everyday

Grace School - painting project

We did see Seam Childers Home tonight.  For 33 years children slept in hall for boys and girls in separate room.  Global Volunteer set-up the dormitories.  We got in a little bit of shopping Ya   Rae was happy to find some new clothes Barbara took the longest, but with all of our expert advice she succeeded finding an outfit.  Margaret was also successful. 

 

Dinner was rice, cauliflower with curry and beans.

 

We walked to Seam Children’s Home and missed all the puddles and holes in the road.  We came back in a taxi rickshaw and we ran thru everything that we missed when we were walking.  With Rae, Barbara, and Margaret pushed together we laugh all the way home.  It was a Hoot!!!!

 

Monday - December 31^st, 2012 (Barbara)

 

Quote for the Day: “A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step.” Gandhi

 

Our first official day was filled with pink paint and paint brushes and real teamwork. Rae, named in honor of her Grandfather Raymond, and I are the tall and short of it so she did the top and I painted the bottom – with supervision from Barnabus, Barnabus worked especially hard and like so many of his country people openly welcomed us with kindness and patience.

 

I never thought painting could be so interesting. As Rae and I were waiting for the paint to be mixed – it does not come in pre-mixed cans – we peeked out of the gate to the school to find a whole world busy at work and play. Women were filling large plastic water bottles at the neighborhood watering spout and children greeted us with great joy, smiles and wonder. Pictures were taken including neighborhood families who readily posed for a family portrait.

 

At the end of the morning session it was great to see the fruits of our labor – one additional classroom finished.  Back to the guest house for lunch of traditional Indian food which is so delicious! I then took a shower. If someone had told me on my first day here that I would welcome a cold shower I would never believe it but here I am two days into the journey and that shower was great!

 

After a much needed rest we returned to the SEAM Children’s Home where we were once again greeted with hugs and noise and laughter. The children came to individual sessions and worked very hard to improve their English skills. It was great to work with them again and this time individually.

 

New Year’s Eve is a religious event in Chennai. We celebrated by attending a Catholic mass along with the children of the Assisi Children’s Home and Sisters Rose and Metilda, the two sisters in charge of the home. The church had open doors, large fans, hundreds of people and barefoot priests – a new one for both me and Margaret. Everyone was dressed beautifully including Global Volunteers whose hair was adorned with jasmine flowers, thanks to the thoughtfulness of our co-host Sheba, the wife of our host Stephen. We were then invited to a New Year’s celebration at Assisi including a special cake. We were accompanied by fireworks in every direction on our ride home.

 

Team 120 has traveled far in the hope of being even one small step in this long but not impossible journey.  

 

Tuesday - January 1^st, 2013 (Rae)

 

Thought of the day: (Something I’ve observed both from Barbara and Margaret) : they don’t let language get in the way of communication.

Barbara and I went to the Grace School to work on another classroom. Instead of immediately painting the room the same pepto-bismo pink, we had to scrape old paint off the walls--very grueling and less fun but necessary.  The power did not shut off while we were there. The two hour black out period moved for this and other Chennai locations. Barbara and I were grateful to have fans going while we worked. In the last hour we did some painting. We’re going to take a couple days off from painting because of a change in plan. Barnabas is going to switch from improving the Grace School to looking after Mary in the hospital. Barbara and I have made many friends in the neighborhood and at the school. People are curious and eager to speak to us. Barbara never lets language barrier get in the way of communication.

 

Margaret held down the fort at Assisi Illam while the sisters stepped out to visit with Mary. She and a group of college students played with the kids. They students mostly behaved except one student tried to climb up the window. The college students were very playful with the children offering them piggy back rides.

 

Lunch was a traditional South Indian dish served on a banana leaf with okra, potatoes, a banana and two sweet Indian desserts: latu (wheat flour) and cashew and milk kova.

 

We made sure to fold our remaining food into our banana leaf the proper way so the hosts knew we liked the food and wanted to come again.

 

The team went to SEAM to do one-on-ones with the children for a couple of hours, helping them with vocabulary and pronunciation. Thankfully we had electricity the whole time, so that meant lights and fans, but the library shelves and books were quite dusty which made me feel allergic, but no one else seemed to notice.

 

We went to Anjappar, a local restaurant, for a special dinner out. We had tandoori chicken, buttered naan, some mushroom masaala, and buttered chicken masala. Margaret and Barbara ordered a dessert with umbrellas.

 

We continue to joke about Barbara losing her pocketbook and Margaret not being able to cross the street alone.

 

 

Wednesday - January 2^nd, 2013 (Margaret)

 

Thought for the day:  When we face our maker.  We will not be asked how many positions did you hold, but how many people you helped.

 

Esther is principal of Grace School.  Barbara, Rae, and Margaret are present at Grace School. 

 

We were located in one room and tried to group by age.  It was hard because they were at dofferemt levels of learning.  With all of us talking at the same time it made it hard to hear the students talk.  We were able to exchange students among ourselves.

 

Last 15 minutes we were with staring and confused kindergarden students.  It helped when the teacher appeared back in the room and encouraged students to sing.  We sang Itzey Bitzey Spider, Dog named Bingo

 

We had lunch and then headed to Collage Industries Expo.  Barbara and I are proud owners of a Pashmina neck scarf or can be a shawl.

 

Electric power is off 4 to 6 this week.  Somehow we have been able to avoid outages at Grace School and Seams Children Home.

 

On the way home from Seams I stared to sing the Witch Doctor song, then finished off with If I Had a Hammer.  Steven our driver is probably glad it was a short ride to the guest house.

 

Dinner, dishes, and shower are our only things left to do.

 

I’m ready to buy GOLD tomorrow.

 

Thursday - January 3^rd, 2013 (Barbara)

 

Thought for the day: “If you educate a child, you educate the world.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

 

A cold kept Rae at the guest house and I missed her sounding out cords so carefully to the children whose names she seems to remember but which fail me. Her persistent and often times successful attempts at Tamil are admirable and result in a very positive response from the people she meets especially the children. Equally admirable is Margaret’s energetic way of relating to the boys and girls – whether in song or smiles. Her overall enthusiasm and good nature keeps the experience upbeat and fun.

 

At Grace School today the plan to work with one grade at a time worked well and with our cleaner, larger area the noise was far more manageable for everyone.

 

When we returned from school for lunch the house was surprisingly quiet. It took me awhile to realize it was absent the humming, playing and soft voice of Roshan who returned to school after his holiday break. After an afternoon rest I awoke to a familiar voice – Roshan saying “Daddy” whom he clearly loves and admires. At lunch we had delicious fried bread and also decided who would go to the gold store. Ultimately, Sheeba and Margaret went to the store where Margaret had her very own personal shopper!! She explained in great detail the process whereby her ears were pierced – OMG!!!!!!

 

Later we again returned to the SEAM Children’s Home where the boys and girls again worked hard to recognize and pronounce words correctly. A, L, M, N, S and W seem to be the most challenging. One of the highlights was when young girls in their school uniforms stopped by the guest house to meet the “white people.” They were so friendly and even gave us kisses when they said good-bye. An elderly woman who accompanied them gave me a big hug which I will remember all of my life.  

 

Friday - January 4^th, 2013 (Rae)

 

The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer. - Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

 

Barbara and I have traded places—I’m feeling much better and she’s gotten sick. Despite her sore throat she braved going to Grace School with the rest of us in the morning. The kids rushed at us giving us hugs and kisses and sat on our laps.

 

It was nice tutoring only one or two students at  once and sitting outside near the playground was more ideal than sitting in an echo-y classroom where students end up yelling over each other just to read a text aloud.

 

I tore a hole in my jeans and decided to buy some Indian clothes that would cover my legs. Maragaret, my shopping buddy came along for the ride. The people who work there recognize us after all our trips to that store—the three of us all bought our New Year’s Eve mass ensembles there.

 

The Government School girls came calling again and again they had a bag of fish. Little Stephen acted as the translator between us and the girls. Details I noticed: one of the little girls didn’t wear shoes because of a religious observance and at least two girls had henna on their hands. By the end of our visit there was around six girls and one outspoken girl was clearly the ring leader. The first thing she asked us was: “Do you remember me?”

 

We went to SEAM without Barbara who needed to rest up. It was business as usual minus our third partner in crime. We helped the children with vocabulary and reading. Margaret was amped up that it was Friday and that we would get to go to Pondicherry the next day.

 

Dinner provided us with bonier than usual fish and it was my turn to do the dishes.

 

Onward to the weekend.

 

Saturday - January 5^th, 2013 (Margaret)

 

Kanchipuram is one of India’s seven holy cities. It is the only holy city in the south of India. The first temple we went to was Kamaskshi Amman temple. The gopuram (the entryway) was carved in the 16^th century, but much of the temple was much older.

 

The female pilgrims wore red, orange and yellow. The male pilgrims went bare-chested and wore lungis (black wraps). There were many women making and selling flower leis.

 

Barbara made friends with some pilgrims in the courtyard as Stephen was giving us a tour. They lined up for pictures with the volunteers and they gave Barbara two lotus blossoms.

 

There were very aggressive vendors within the temple who followed you around.

 

We passed by a neem tree where people left their prayer requests, couples asked for children, single women asked for husbands.

 

There were two big painted elephants who were brought out of their cages so that people could offer them money for blessings. Barbara said the elephant’s trunk felt heavy, but the elephant was trying to be gentle.

 

Also in Kanchupuram, Margaret and Barbara bought silk scarves at a silk factory. There was a large loom where they did silk weaving demonstrations.

 

We visited another Hindu temple, Ekambranatha temple, where we saw priests doing arati and Prasad in front of various shrines to hindu Gods. Walking around the uneven stones of the temple was like a foot massage.

 

The last temple we saw that day was called Kailashnatha temple which was a sandstone temple from the 7^th or 8^th century. Time had taken its toll on this monument, all the vibrant colors painted onto the deities were almost completely gone.

 

As Americans, was so amazing to see all these ancient temples and be able to touch them.

 

We went to Puducherry, a beach town that used to be colonized by France, and was exited around 1955-ish. This is a big tourist attraction where we encountered many Americans/Europeans. It was nice to breathe the ocean air after being in the city so long.

 

We walked the boardwalk, but couldn’t go in the water because the Bay of Benghal has strong undercurrents. Also the beach is rocky, not sandy which made it seem a little forbidding, but it was still fun.

 

There were wondering cotton candy salesmen, men selling glow in the dark toys, ice cream salesmen and parrot fortune-tellers.

 

 The card the parrot selected for Barbara was Joseph and the Virgin Mary. The card said that Barbara would take care of herself and her life would be good until age 82. Margaret’s card was the Virgin Mary which meant God would take care of her. She needs to be careful that people would want money from her and she would take care of other people.

 

We briefly stopped at the Ambedkar Memorial where Rae had a memorable encounter with a young Northern Indian nicknamed “Kindle” because it was embroidered on his shirt. We would see him again the next day in the same shirt at Oroville.

 

We went to a French restaurant called “Rendez-vous” where a lot of other ex-pats eat and as a rare feature it serves wine.

 

We laid our heads down at the Lotus Comfort Hotel. We each enjoyed our own rooms, our own TVs and showers with hot water. We also enjoyed a symphony during the nighttime—horns honking, dogs-barking, roosters crowing, cows mooing, goats bleating, etc., etc.

 

Sunday - January 6^th, 2013 (Margaret)

 

The second day we visited the Auroville and Mamallapuram. Auroville contains a non-religious commune of 2,000 people open to everyone to live at free of charge. Its centerpieces were banyan trees and a large golden sphere housing a crystal ball which the public cannot walk into, although it was allowed at one time. Meditation is supposed to be the center of life there.

 

We bumped into Kindle who was wearing the same Kindle shirt and said some quick hellos.

 

We stopped by the town Mamallapuram to look at carvings from the 7^th or 8^th century. This was a place where carvers practiced their craft before carving “real” temples. Many of the rocks structures were impressive because they carved intricate designs out of one piece of rock where one mistake would mean a completely ruined piece.

 

It felt like a very hot day for us Americans, but the Indians were out in full-force. We saw our first Indian monkeys running through the crowds, as a family. Most people didn’t bat an eye, some of the children screamed. There were ladies who set up shop selling food to throw to the monkeys.

 

We witnessed a road block protest as well as Indian police power at work. We took a detour around it and sailed home.

 

Monday - January 7^th, 2013 (Rae)

 

Thought for the day: Margaret is smart to store up multiple thoughts for the day so she’s ready when she does the journal entry.

 

Margaret and I met the Assisi Ilam children for the first time. I feel like our experience at Grace has prepared us for the short cute children who are puzzled when we start singing “Old MacDonald.” We also broke out Baa, Baa Black Sheep, Are you sleeping Brother John?, Twinkle Twinkle little star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Head, Shoulders, Knees and toes. Mary bought some chocolate gold coins. The children loved and Margaret distributed them.

 

Sheeba, Margaret and I went to Joyalukkas (not GTR where Margaret had gone) and I bought a pair of earrings for myself and one for my sister’s birthday. Margaret found a necklace with a rooster—her Chinese zodiac sign.

 

After dinner we watched soap operas and did homework. Roshan, Stephen and Sheeba all have homework.

 

Tuesday - January 8^th, 2013 (Barbara)

 

Mary and Barbara are still on the mend.  Now I found out that Rae is also down.  Well the survivor is Margaret and she will make it to Assisi Illam kindergarten by herself.

 

The kindergarden was drinking milk when I arrived.  Then it was bathroom time.  On the left when you come in the gate  is a area to go to the bathroom .  They strip their undies pants and skirts, then they come to you to put everything back on. 

 

A new little boy first day cried so hard that he got sick.  They had to call someone to pick him up. 

 

I’m losing my voice so trying to not talk.  We tried putting book on head and walking.  If you can’t read the book try using the book in another way.

 

Barbara and Margaret made it to Seams with Hershey kisses.  We worked with the girls today.  I’m trying not to talk so we played a matching game. 

 

Pizza is the order for dinner, make my day.  Also we celebrated  a belate4 birthday for Mary.  The pizza and cake was GREAT.

 

Tuesday – January 8^th, 2013 (Barbara)

Quote for the day: “Life’s journey doesn’t need to be unique to be memorable; It becomes memorable through the appreciation of the smallest things.”  James Joyce (Irish Author)

The following is a list of the small things of January 8^th 2013 which made for a memorable journey:

1.     Meeting our Global Volunteer Goals of Team 120…exceeding the “helping the Indian economy.”

2.     Margaret’s energy and whose theme song might be “Onward Christian Soldiers” as she alone represented Team 120 at the Assisi Day Care and sang so much she lost her voice.

3.     The breeze which cooled the rooftop terrace allowing for a quiet moment to create a lesson plan.

4.      Feeling well enough to walk not once but twice with Mary, a veteran of the Global Volunteer India Program and who told me about the significant improvements to the lives of the local children over the years she has volunteered here.

5.     Rae, who was in touch with her feelings at a much younger age than I ever was and took care of herself and recharged so she could be more energized and effective, which is especially needed when working in this ancient yet still developing country.

6.     The delight on the face of the children when they master a sound…a word…a sentence…a paragraph.

7.     Celebrating Mary’s birthday – albeit late yet heartfelt- in celebration of a woman who yearns to return home yet is a great example of someone who is making the best of it.

8.     The incredibly gracious and polite manner in which the children of SAME Children’s Home accepted Margaret’s gift of Hershey Kissses.

9.     Pizza, birthday cake and a special instrumental Happy Birthday candle which opened into a lotus…and the later dismantling of the God blessed thing!!

 

Wednesday – January 9^th, 2013 (Barbara)

 

Quote for the day: “To those he gives great gifts, he gives great responsibility” (author unknown)

 

 

OMG!  Margaret and Rae took Assisi by storm with Rae’s drawings of flowers, seahorses, fish and lions and a bag of crayons the room full of little ones fell quiet while they each colored. It was the only quiet time I can recall of the morning session and unlike my time at SEAM the morning at Assisi went on and on and on and on and on. At one point exhausted and overwhelmed I looked at the clock which indicated that only an hour had passed since our arrival and I thought I would join the poor little fellow who endlessly cried for his mother. I was so thankful for my teammates and there unwavering ability to entertain and interact with these very little people. I think I may have stepped on one or perhaps two. Either way despite their size they had boundless energy and seemed nearly indestructible. Stephen and Sheeba’s presence was enormously helpful as was the fact that Assisi is absolutely spotless and the children clearly cared for. I had never been so happy to see the clock strike 12:30 pm and to have a sighting of Stephen’s car which transported me to safety! How on God’s earth did Margaret do this solo????? She really is a Christian soldier…I would have hid! All of this is an exaggeration - a good time was held by all especially the children who each had two Hershey kisses – after they finished their lunch of course. 

 

 

Team 120 then had the immense pleasure of meeting all of Stephen’s family who graciously invited us to their home and prepared a traditional Indian meal for us. It was truly an honor to meet this special and loving family. We were fortunate enough to have the meet his sister and her family (Prema, Thiyagu and Akash) who only visit once a year because they live so far away – nearly three day train ride from Northern India. Stephen’s parents, Jothi and Chinnappan, were so nice. His mother reminded me of my own sweet mother and meeting her caused me to yearn for home and my own mother. It is easy to see where Stephen gets his great humanity and patience from. After looking at photo albums I concluded it was truly divine intervention that Stephen ended up with Sheeba for his “would you like to be my wife” picture was totally absent his warm smile. Wisely Sheeba’s mother suggested she meet him in person and they have been together ever since – a  union of two truly gifted and remarkable individuals.

 

 

We then returned home for some much needed rest. Later in the afternoon we went to SEAM for the evening hours.  Mary, who appears to be gaining strength daily, was warmly greeted by all of the children.  

 

 

At home it was clear Rae’s creative juices were running and she, along with Margaret, her partner in crime, were cooking something up. With Rae’s drawings and Margaret’s singing it is bound to go to Broadway! I can’t wait to see what it is and learn my lines.  A grand day was had by all!!

 

 

Thursday - January 10^th, 2013 (Rae)

 

 

Thought of Day: Singing has become the universal language of our group. We use it to teach children, keep our spirits up and to have fun on long car rides. Younger Stephen calls us the laughing group, but we consider ourselves the singing group.

 

 

This is our second to last day. Barbara, Margaret and I all went to Assissi Ilam for the second time as a complete trio. We made 40 copies of one of my flower picture drawings for the kids to color, which we distributed before we did our epic retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. We used cut-out drawings from a former volunteer, Joelle, who was an art teacher. Sangeeta, the teacher, was a very helpful ally in translating the story into Tamil as we acted it out—it was one she had never heard of before and even asked us if we made it up, but she was a really got ally in story-telling once we got going. We assigned Barbara the role of the ogre since she did such a great job of doing the Big Bad Wolf. The kids were entranced by Barbara’s delivery of the line: “Fee fi fo fum. I smell the blood of an Englishmen. Whether he’s alive or whether he’s dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”

 

 

They watched that tape of sing songs nursery rhymes which are very catchy and get stuck in everyone’s head. The children got up on their feet and were dancing.

 

 

After lunch we went to the second largest beach in the world, which is in Chennai. It’s a sandy beach with countless venders of all sorts and men on horses riding up and down soliciting customers for their horse rental business. Margaret and I attracted the eye of a wandering beggar women with two monkeys on a leash. Margaret snapped a good picture of her. We watched families on the beach frolic in the waves wearing all their clothes and then we headed back. As usual Barbara made so many friends. Even on the way back she was determined to make as many people smile as possible. She cracked a few hard nuts on the bus and in nearby shops.

 

 

The SEAM children were in rare form—extremely energetic, but also extremely focused on reading.

 

 

Tomorrow is our last day.

 

 

Friday – January 11^th, 2013 (Margaret)

 

 

The last day but a good day.

 

 

Thought of the day ; We have flown the air like birds and swim the sea like fish.  But have yet to learn the simple act of working the earth like brothers - Dr. Martin Luther King.

 

 

How can you be sad and happy at the same time?  But leaving India brings out all emotions.  God bless everyone that I have been able to embrace.

 

 

Team Leaders Raja Stephens and Sheeba and the whole family have been wonderful.

 

 

Barbara, Margaret, and Sheeba with Baby Stephens as driver went SHOPPING..  We purchased 100 pairs of underwear for the Seams Children Home also 3 boxes for their clothing.  Thanks to Barbara. 

 

 

We enjoyed Seams as usual then we had a thank you from the students.  Barbara, Rae, and Margaret presented Jack and the beanstalk story and sang Bingo, If I have a hammer, and good bye song.

 

 

The students danced for us and sang several songs.  We received a thank you card signed by the students and a yellow flower.  How much we appreciated this ceremony that will stay with us for ever.

 

 

Good Night but never Good Bye