Woke up around 6a to tea. Small breakfast with Siddarth, Bhola, and Suman. The kids start to arrive around 7:45. Everyone lines up for assembly at 8:15. We are all a little timid, but just a little smile is all it takes to break the ice. There are five classes: Nursery (ages 5-7?), Class I (7-9), Class II (8-10), Class III (9-11), and Class IV (12) - 78 students in all. Kartik, a Class IV student who will probably be teaching classes next year, takes me around to all the classes. Nursery is crazy, almost uncontrollable. We color little shapes from their Math books. Observations: the books are at least ten years old but sufficient, there are hardly any crayons, and the blackboard needs to be replaced (Just makes me think of the bags and bags of crayons I collected while organizing my mom's drawers and closets! Wish I could have brought them). There are about 20 students and they all shout out "Miss, Miss, Miss!?!!!". The time flies by in an instant. The other classes also fly by too fast. The students are patient with me, but again so so eager. The alloted half hour per class is no where near enough time. Turns out there have not been many volunteers this year most likely due to the economy. A few years back there used to be as many as four a month. So the kids have not really been taught this year. Before I know it they are gone - school ends at noon and Bhola and I are off to the nearest city, Godda to run some errands. Siddarth is really sick - he's had Malaria since the 70's, so we need to pick up some medicine for him and fruit for me. Cock-a-doodle dooooo;) the song returns. Coming out of the project is like emerging onto a movie set. Directly across the dirt road from the project are beautiful worn stones used to beat grasses. Immaculate circles where the cows walk on the grass. Palm trees. Brilliant yellow mustard fields. The earth is red here so it gives even more contrast to the landscape. The videos on the Blog do not do this place justice. It's green and beautiful in the winter if not a bit hazy and the hills are said to have lots of monkeys;) We arrive in Godda in under an hour and stop at the police station for my district check in. Siddarth had warned me that they would probably ask funny questions like "What is your religion". And indeed they did. Turns out the slim man with thick glasses really wanted to talk. After reluctantly accepting my "I respect and believe in all religions" answer (he tried to insist that I was Christian), he moved on to Shakespear, Keats, Washington DC, Obama, and fall of the banking system. Bhola was a little eager to get on with our day and gently ushered me out or else I would have stayed in the small closet like room for another three hours;) Next we stopped at a few little school supply shops looking for dusters (erasers) and pencils. Then a stop at the Ayurvedic medicine store for Siddarth. I'll be going here again to report on all of the different medicines - somewhere in English like Aloe Vera Juice, Honey, .... but I'd like to go back when we have more time. Next Bhola ran into a little store on a quieter street. I stood outside the taxi to take some pictures. Within three minutes, I was surrounded by about thirty people. Thank god for the camera. Regula had said it would be a great ice breaker. I started to film the crowd and everyone started to laugh. I didn't feel at all uncomfortable or nervous. Who would have known I had issues re: personal space;) Little kids darted in and out laughing some a little frightened but most staying to ask me my name, where I was from, etc... Bhola called and I joined him in front of the little shop. Tea in a small glass cup arrived ... along with the crowd. Lots of big smiles, laughing, taking of pictures ... I hope to upload the video's next week. We got into the taxi and the crowd followed. We stopped about ten feet down the road and the same boys came to my window asking for my autograph. More tea and we were off. A few more stops for fruit and and ATM visit and we head back to Dakshinayan. It's dark again when we arrive and Siddarth is very ill. Dinner again is great but quiet. After dinner, everyone typically goes to bed ... it's only around 8p but I'm tired and very content to fall asleep under a fluffy orange quilt.
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