day one of teaching

The Good News: I've gotten REALLY good at killing bugs.
The Bad News: I still have 23 mosquito bites (yes, I'm counting/scratching).

Thanks for all of your positives vibes and energy! I definitely think they worked because I had an amazing first day teaching!! I was surprised how easily it came to me and afterwards how motivated and excited I was to try and elaborate on a lesson or plan something new. The kids are INCREDIBLY smart, it completely blows me away. And not just smart but internally motivated and excited about to learn something new and to try and perfect their pronunciation. They are eager and listen intently to everything that I say (although sometimes a nun has to step in and translate a little). I ended each class with a Simon Says sesh... but I changed it to Allie Says (heehee). THEY HAD SO MUCH FUN! I don't think they'd ever played it before! It was a little challenging explaining the rules, but as I said, these kids are crazy smart, and caught on after just one round. I hope to end every class with a game or something fun because then they leave smiling and laughing and that, to me, is the best part.

Afterwards, I spent some time with Lilly, drinking tea and teaching her a little bit more about email and some other tools online. Later, Natalia gave a presentation to the junior sisters (and I came along) about the importance of recycling. FINALLY! Brent said it best in a recent email, "the go green movement has yet to catch on in India." But Natalia showed videos of toys you can make with water bottles and newspapers and suggested we create bins (paper, plastic, bottles) and then teach the children the usefulness and necessity in such actions so that the future of India can be a cleaner one. I was super impressed and totally on that bandwagon, so I'm excited to see the progress we make here with recycling.

Then, silly me, took my malaria meds on a empty stomach (reason #13586 that I don't like taking medicine) and my stomach went nuts and the pains were unbearable. Just when I thought I was going to have to call it a night and skip dinner, I noticed the little boys doing their homework out on the patio outside of the convent, instead of near their building like they usually do. So I went outside to investigate and I met/FELL IN LOVE with the most adorable Nepalese boy, whose mother had died and father remarried to a woman not so keen on having a little boy. So now Santosh (I'm sure that's not how you spell it) stays here in the orphanage. This little boy, simultaneously broke and filled my heart, if that's even possible. He didn't even say a word to me, but his sweet and bashful demeanor and interest in something so simple as the alphabet (which we were going over on his chalkboard) completely swept me away. As he was leaving for the daily prayer, he gave me the most precious smile and I waved and told him I'd see him tomorrow. I absolutely cannot stop thinking about him and can't WAIT to see him again. These children have a way of doing that. Not just him but all of them.

 

Too cute.

 

Meet Santosh. Notice that his shirt says "just chillin." Too perfect. 

 

Santosh again...my internet is being ungodly slow, so I'll upload more photos of the kids tomorrow! 

daily life

FINALLY! I have a schedule for my days! Something I've struggled with so far is definitely the lack of planning here in India. I love having a plan, I love planning for myself, for others and I love having everything figured out in advance; but in India, plans don't exist, which is probably why the people are far less stressed and just go with the flow... something I can definitely learn from. But finally, I was able to pin down the head master and Lilly and we came up with a schedule. My day looks like so (in case you were wondering):

8-9 a.m. English with my fave Colombian nuns
9:15-10 a.m. 2nd Grade English
12:30 LUNCH
1-1:40 p.m. 4th Grade English
2-2:40 p.m. 1st Grade English
5:30-6:30 p.m. Computer For Nuns

Thrilled for this progress! Today, I spent some time with Lilly, teaching her Powerpoint and setting up her very own Skype account! Then, I went to the school to observe classes for the second day in a row. Teaching is very different here, and I'm not a teacher anyways so this is definitely something I'm concerned about. For example, there is no raising hands to answer questions; all of the children answer in unison, which is a little overwhelming at first, but also in a sense much easier (especially when their names are going to be quite hard for me to learn). I watched Berna (the current teacher) and was given a 1st grade book to flip through. I feel better after day two of observing, but I'm still really really nervous to start tomorrow!
Everyone is super reassuring, though. I guess I'm scared of failing, but aren't we all. And thinking rationally, how badly can I fail? Yesterday was a tough day, but today is much better. Every day I gain more confidence in myself, whether it be through a positive remark from a nun or an encouraging Facebook message or comment on my blog... so thank YOU for that and thank you for following my story and believing in this cause.

We went into town so I could use the ATM (rickshaw-style, LESS THAN $1 TO GET ABOUT 10 MINUTES INTO TOWN... tell me that's not a bargain), and I finally got to snap a photo of this house/business (I'm not sure) that I've been admiring since I first saw it. This is a perfect example of sort of a theme I've noticed in India: beauty amongst the filth. Riding into town, I can never understand where I am. Between the lack of street signs, the uniform stands and shops and the Telagu language, I feel instantly lost (thank goodness for the nuns and the crafty rickshaw drivers). Plus, India is probably one of the dirtiest countries I have ever been to, but strangely it is not bothersome, because you see amongst the filth, something beautiful everywhere that you go.

For example: the rickshaws, a go-cart meets bumper car mobile, rickety on the outside but often there is beautiful fabric covering the interior. Or the beautiful women in BEAUTIFUL sarees, amidst the drab, brown homes and poor landscaping. And something I've seen several times, run down buildings, almost visibly deteriorating before your eyes, yet inside awaits the most beautiful tiling with incredible detail and colors. Or, finally, this house. Bright and cheery, sitting amongst dilapidated stores and businesses. It's the contrast that makes this country so beautiful.

 

Changing the subject, heehee, I also snapped a picture of maybe my favorite meal so far: white rice, boiled carrots and fried cabbage (I have been dying for veggies, so this was great)!

 

This evening was a lot of fun too! The nuns and I plucked leaves and basically dissected their stems (they call them simply "greens") off of these pre-picked branches and apparently they are made into some kind of dish to eat? I'm interested to see, we'll probably be eating those tomorrow. And I watched my first Indian soap opera. Even though I clearly don't speak Telagu, it seemed like a similar plot to the American soap operas: girl cheats on guy, guy finds out, has evidence, girl cries, guy is angry blah blah blah. Even more ridiculous and hilarious in Telagu/with an Indian setting. I enjoyed it!

Wish me luck on my first actual day on the job (tomorrow)!

electricity, where you at?

Unfortunately, I've gotten myself into this habit of going to sleep around 8 or 9 p.m. and then waking up around 4 a.m. Last night, I was awakened by my own sweat which was producing at an astonishing rate. The power outages here are really something else. Like I said on one of my first days, the power and water went out all day, which is apparently uncommon. But today, we have had 11 power outages (for no longer than 45 minutes) in just 12 hours! Crazy!

But besides the power and the obvious culture shock, I think I am adjusting very well. Every day I'm learning something new. For example, yesterday when we went grocery shopping, Romi and I were looking for chai tea, we'd both heard it was amazing and were dying to try it. Hilda, one of the nuns, tried to explain something to us but we weren't really understanding, so we brushed it off. Today, Lilly told me we'd be going back into town to get me some new Indian duds (more trying to fit in/I have a creepy obsession with all things, clothes and jewelry mostly, Indian) and I asked if we could find some chai tea. She laughed and explained to me that the word, chai, MEANS tea in Hindi and that was what Hilda was trying to explain to us yesterday. Oh did I feel dumb, and a little confused, how am I supposed to try this tea if all teas are called chai? What is everyone talking about? Leave me a comment if you know of any other way to describe this so-called "chai tea."

The nuns are so funny, I think they're a little protective of me because they didn't want me riding into the city using "public transportation," aka the rickshaw... but I'm trying to fit in here. I'm not going to be that snobby American who only takes the Jeep they have here on site. No, the only real way to experience anything is to fully immerse yourself into it. So six nuns, myself and a driver all fit into this small, nuggety rickshaw and headed to town. "Downtown Nellore" is such a site to see! Cows sitting in between clothing shops, women asking to take pictures with me (WHAT?!)... it's all very interesting. While downtown, I smelled a scent that I hadn't smelled in a while: cigarettes. And then it dawned on me that I've seen absolutely no one smoking here! An interesting change from the U.S. and Madrid, the only two places I've ever lived long-ish term. Speaking of smelling, the things you smell on the street just blow my mind, or should I say nose. From incense to curry to body oder to urine to bad cologne... the list never ends!

But I guess I should cut to the chase. Today I made a few purchases, that I justified by telling myself "I need to fit in," but really India has the most beautiful things, things you'd pay so much for in the U.S. but are ridiculously cheap here (don't worry, I'm bringing back souvenirs for everyone)!

 

Incense, dress, bangles

Also! Finally I have some pictures of my "living quarters," which I'm hoping to spiff up soon with some curtains perhaps (okay... fabric hanging by the window) and maybe a rug. Extreme Makeover: India Edition, here I come!

       

  

Thanks for reading!

everyday occurences (round one)

• The "Kids' Menu" on the room service menu at the hotel in Chennai is referred to as "Future Adults."
• There are no trash cans. Anywhere. 
• Men hold hands or walk with their arms around each other but and a man and a woman do not.
• Motto of the Police Department here: "We don't sit like a rock, we work like a clock!"
• When you ask a question, if the answer is yes, Indians will nod their head like this (SO confusing at first!)

   

I am considered "others" (obviously). This was the cost of entrance to one of the temples in Chennai... that's basically $0.21 if you're Indian and $5.43 is you're anything else.

 

On a tour, I learned that this chalk-like substance made out of rice is used to draw pictures on the roads. It's purpose? To feed the ants. I LOVE it.

 

Halleluja! (TG)

"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be."

          John Lennon