On the Road Again!

Thursday, Dec. 8, Kumbalam and Tangasseri (Cont.)

It was a busy and tiring day. Joseph and I went to Tangasseri just after lunch. All the children assembled together. Rajesh, the English techer, led the activities. Everyone clapped in unison while slowly going faster and faster as I entered. Rajesh made a speech. Then Nobin, one of the boys I got to know fairly well from 7^th Standard made a speech and gave me a binder full of art and messages created by the students of the school. Rosalind gave me a card and told me how much she will miss me and my support. Several more children made brief speeches. It was especially touching, since I didn’t get to spend as much time on that campus as I would have liked.

Joseph and I rushed back to Kumbalam where a similar ceremony was held. In addition to a book of artwork and greetings, I was given a gift of honor—a gold-trimmed linen shawl on which the staff of both schools had wirtten notes and made drawings. They placed me in a chair and put the shawl over my shoulders.

After all that, we had a party here at the hostel this evening. The children did 3 of the activities I will do with the teachers on Saturday. After dinner, I served the milk candy and gave all them their gifts. They seemed pleased with the address books, and Prameela was very happy with the quality of the sari I gave her. Joseph was not aware that there was such a good map of Kerala. The children gave me me small gifts (a finger puppet, a small Christmas star, homemade cards, etc.), and Joseph gave me a thank you card with a very nice handwritten message inside telling me how much my visit had meant to him and the improvement of the school.

After reading through the books and reading the messages written on the shawl, I was exhausted and slept all night for a change!!

Friday, Dec. 9, Kumbalam

Today is my last day with the students at the school. Greeting them each morning has generally been the highlight of each day. This will be my last time to enjoy that.

I spent the morning finishing up work at the school office. Then I spent part of the afternoon printing materials for my workshop omorrow. After that, I sat and read at the school. During their break, many of the students came to me wanting my address and my autograph. Fortunately, it was only a 10-minute break. I can understand how actors get tired of giving out signatures!

It's late afternoon now. Joseph is on his way to the airport, and things are quiet (except for the usuall yelling). I'll gather or print more materials for tomorrow. And Jerry wants me to show him how to burn a CD on the computer. I hope it all goes smoothly.
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There are 3 school terms here. the second term exams are beginning Monday, so the children are studying. It's all based on memorization. I hate it! I don't even want to assist them. They don't understand a thing. In fact, they memorize passages in which they speall every third word because they don't know how to pronounce them (meaning they aren't in their vocabulary). I'm so glad Im leaving and won't be here during this two-week exam period. I would be so miserable as they asked me to listen as they recited passages or as they wanted me to ask questions to which they would give memorized answers.

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I began my packing tonight. As usual, I have too much. I wanted to buy a few more things, but how woud I fit them into the suitcase?

Saturday, Dec. 10, Kumbalam

It's been raining overnight, and it continues this morning. I hope it won't be like this when I take the bus tomorrow.

The workshop isn't until 2:00 this afternoon. I didn't know that until 5 p.m. yesterday. They've always been in the mornings before. I had planned to get a haircut and go to the cyber cafe this afternoon. Now it's too messy to get out this morning and there won't be time in the afternoon.

I'm a little anxious about heading out on my own again. I guess it's a combination of facing being alone again, dealing with the difficulties of getting around and finding rooms, and worrying about the fact I'll be in some of the more touristy areas of India where touts and beggars are likely to be a bigger problem. I'll be glad, however, to be in control of my own life again, however.
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I made a mess this morning. I sit on the side of a plastic table for dining. A raised pastic strip connects the side legs, along the floor, so I can't sit close to the table. Often, I have twisted my body to the side so I could sit closer. This morning, we had dosa for breakfast. They were cooked by the kids, and I had noticed that they dhadn't been cooked long enough; they were a little raw and sticking to the plate. Half-way through breakfast, my plate flipped off the edge of the table. I caught it after just a bobble, but I got yellow curry sauce on my shirt and my shorsts. (I'm glad I wasn't already dressed in my nice clothes for the in-service session.) Anyway, I had to wash them. I'm not sure if the yellow stain will still be seen or not, but it's likely. The big problem is that this is not a sunny day. The shirt may not dry by tomorrow. If not, I'll have to wear it. A wet shirt in a suitcase is an invitation to mildew here!

One of the teachers is upset with me. She asked me yesterday when the session is today, and I told her I thought it was at 9:30. No one had told me otherwise, but I assumed it would be at the same time as the previous two. I didn't tell her definitely. I indicated that I didn't know for sure. It was later (after teachers were gone) that I found out it is at 2:00. Well, she didn't check with anyone else and left school early. She came this morning and is upset with me because she is here early. She's the same teacher who didn't come to the in-service session last time because she had come to school for an hour on the previous day (to ask for an advance on her pay) which was a strike day. On the following Monday, she was upset to see she had been marked absent on Saturday and announced loudly, "But I came on Friday!" I've always found communicating with her to be awkward. She seems to expect too much from others. (Later, at 2:00 when the vice-principal came, she started crying [fake tears, I think] saying how she had come early because of me and that she ought to be allowed to miss the session. Fortunately, he made her stay. She pouted through most of the session, and I didn't try to change her mood. I just ignored her.)
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I've been trying to clean my toenails. Indians were sandals that slip on and off, because they never wear shoes indoors. They even take off their sandals to enter shops and supermarkets. Because they are so exposed, their feet tend to look old even on young people. They are dry, cracked, crusty, etc. I haven't been here long enough for that to happen to mine. My big problem is that diirt gets into the cracks along the edges of the toenails, and it is difficult to remove. I work on them, but they never become completely clean. That will only happen, I guess, as they grow out after I am away from here and wearing socks again.
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It's 1:30, and I'm waiting for the teachers. As usual at this school, things were done wrongly this morning. Instead of letting (requiring) the children run wild so they would be tired and quiet during the in-service session, they were required to sit still from 10-1 studying English. Now they are noisy and restless and will disturb us, I suspect. The same problem occurred last time, but those planning the day didnt' let it register and plan a different strategy. I had hoped, since I had no say about the 3 hours of switch-enforced sitting still, to force them to play football and basketball to keep them active and far from us, but it has begun raining. Their noise will be disturbing us all afternoon!
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The teachers came late. One group was 30 minutes late, and the other almost one hour late. I started the workshop when the first group arrived, so the second group missed the first activity. It went well enough, but these teachers, like the students, don't THINK as much as they should. They are too used to giving memorized responses. They seemed to appreciate and enjoy what I did, however. We finished around 4:45.

There was a minor crisis at the point when the session ended. Something happened to make Abin cry. My guess is that he was already sensitive because of my departure, and something small caused it. He's hugged me several times today. He's been the one who liked me the most from the beginning. I just closed the door and held him until he quit crying. He never would tell me what caused it.

In the evening, I cut Jerry's hair again and helped the students study. Abin gave me a nice "love" note, and I gave him my boat to keep for me. (It was homemade from parts of palm trees and given to me earlier in the day by one of the teachers. It was just too delicate for me to pack.) I gave Jerry his shoes and asked him to keep them a secret until I'm gone ( so the others wouldn't be asking me why I gave them to him). It was obvious that he was touched by the fact that I cared.

Sunday, Dec. 121, Kumbalam to Kochi

On the road again....

Unfortunately, it's raining. And this is froma tropical storm, so it probably won't stop before my bus departure at 9:40. Even worse is that I must get from the main intersection in Kollam to the train station. It's not far, but it means going over a bridge with a rutted trail that makes it impossible to roll the suitcase. Anyway, whatevr has to be has to be.
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I was lucky. The rain slowed to a sprinkle by the time I left. All the kids accompanied me outside after I'd given each a hug and a pen. All morning, they had been giving me crds they had made. Jerry and Abin were quiet and withdrawn, although both also gave me cards. Jerrry's said, "Thank you for being a sir and a brother and an uncle to me and for helping me in all my things." I appreciated that. In typical teenage fashion, he signed it, "A bad spirit boy." It was difficult to leave them.

I caught a train only 40 minutes after arriving at the station. And it arrived in Ernakulam at 2 p.m. I got a hotel just 2 1/2 blocks from the train station. Most businesses were closed because of it being Sunday. I stayed in the room watching TV until 4 p.m. Then I went out walking. I found the hotel where I stayed two years ago. I may move there tomorrow since it is half the price with essentially the same services.

I had a great dinner--mushroom parota. It was chopped up parota (flat bread) with mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, other vegetables and spices. It was delicious. On the side awas yogurt with chopped onions. I also ordered a banana fritter and a lime juice. It was nice to have something different for a change. And it all cost only 81 cents.

"Cider House Rules" was on TV in the evening. It was an appropriate film with the main character leaving all the children at the orphanage behind. It was also a favorte of Arne's (We both read the book.), so it was a rather sad and sentimental night for me.