Shanti Shanti

February 12th, Shanti Bhavan
Today was a great day. I woke up at 6 for the morning aerobics class. Today we had the 11th grade girls and they were really fun. We did basic stuff like push-ups and sit-ups as well as some dance moves. They all have such big personalities and I wish I could be with them more often, but they have their studies and so we only see them in the morning.
For the rest of the day I observed classes so I can effectively take over on Monday… and I’m actually writing this on the 13th so I’m having trouble remembering exactly what I did yesterday…
February 13th, Shanti Bhavan
I observed more classes today and got to even teach a bit in some of them. I gave the 4th graders their spelling test and participated in a class discussion about Hairspray with the 5th grade. I met a lot more of the students today . I met Rajne, the 11th grade boy who is a wonderful pianist, and Amanda took me down to the dorms to meet the kindergarteners and the 1st graders. All little kids are cute, but you have never seen cuteness like this. They are so tiny and adorable and they’re used to new volunteers coming all the time so they run right up to you and hug you and hold your hand.
As I was walking into lunch today, I was wearing my sunglasses and one of the little boys came up to me and said, “Miss, you look cool in your specs.” It was so funny to hear that phrase come out of a tiny Indian kid’s mouth.
Amanda and I started planning my final performance project for the kids that we’ll start working on next week. We’re using material from Billy Elliot for the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th graders and one 11th grade girl, Beena, who Amanda said is a gifted dancer. For the 1st graders we’ll be doing theatre games and the KG will sing “Rubber Duckie.” I think it’s going to end up being really cool. I’m glad Amanda is here to help me, because she already knows the kids and so she can help me identify their strengths and weaknesses before we even start working.
I sat with the 6th and 7th grade girls at dinner today and they were so cute, asking me “Miss, who is your Valentine?” and wanting to know all about Brandon.
On the way out of the dining hall, I was stopped by Mala, one of the 11th grade girls who is hilarious and has become one of my immediate favorites. She called me Lizzie and asked if I had ever read or seen “Pride and Predjudice.” We talked about Colin Firth and Johnny Depp and other actors we found “dreamy.” As we parted ways, I heard her singing a Justin Timberlake song… such a Western exchange happening in the middle of India. It made me feel at home!
Since it’s Friday the 13th, we are going to watch a scary movie tonight. I think “The Sixth Sense.”
I just realized I forgot to write about the other volunteers. I’m older by a few years than everyone except a middle-aged Canadian man named Jaques who is here for the fourth time now. The other volunteers are Amanda, Joe, Molly, Arjun, and Steve. They are all really nice and so far we’ve been having a good time. Most of them are taking a year or a few months off after graduating from college, so we’re in different places in our lives, but I think we will all learn a lot together.
Tomorrow is Saturday, so there are only a few classes in the morning and then in the afternoon we will travel to Hosur, the town neaarest to the school, for some internet, food at a restaurant, and phone cards! I can’t wait to post my blog and make phone calls. More on that later!