It is like India doesn't want you to leave!
Trip Start
Feb 24, 2010
1
27
33
Trip End
Jun 29, 2010
New Jalpaiguri, Bengal, India
Thursday, June 17, 2010
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Heya guys, hope you are well and enjoying the World Cup. We are discovering that India supports the 'best' teams so its turning out to be all about Brazil and Argentina here!
This morning was a bit surreal, first we faced difficulties getting out because of a landslide. We heard that our road was closed, the landslide had taken a lorry of gas cylinders down with it. The driver escaped unharmed and the villagers were apparently highly entertained by the incident and were taking lots of photos! Then the kids got very excited, shouting that they had a 'holiday'. A strike had been called in the nearest town of Kurseong due to reports of police beating children. 'Only in India eh?!' Julia remarked :-) - we were delayed before we had even started! Fortunately after an hour of suspense Mr Thapa managed to get a letter of permission from a local politican so we were able to get a jeep down to Siliguri. Our departure was a very rushed affair, the jeep was keen to get away before we faced any more problems! I will never forget driving off seeing all the hostel kids, some of the teachers and the Thapas all waving us off. Its not quite hit home that I will never see them again :-( This morning five year old Verns came into our room - 'you going mam?' he said and we agreed. Then he said 'you back Sunday yeah?' 'No sorry' we said. ' Monday then?' 'Tuesday?!' As we have been going away some weekends they always assume we will come back!
Our last week has been a mix of sadness and amazingness. I had some lovely times with the kids, like playing 'police and thieves' with class 4, basically the girls run around catching the boys! They also have this better version of duck duck goose where you drop a hanky behind someone and then that person has to throw it at you to get you out! I did a nice girls only walk and we had samosas together :-)
On Tuesday Julia & I went to Regal Academy to do our last morning. We held a colouring competition and gave the kids each a portrait photo we had made, stuck on cereal box card and framed with coloured paper. They said goodbye in the same way as we had first met - we bent down so the little kids could place yellow and white cloth around our necks.
We went to Miss Fatima's house and she did the most beautiful mendi (henna) on our left hands, I hope mine lasts till I am home so I can show people :-) we were treated to the most tasty lunch made by her mum. They have a lovely home, a blue house full of pretty wooden furniture - the kitchen and front room turn into bedrooms at night. It reminded me how different families are here - her mother got married at age 14 (in the 1980s) and had Fatima when she was 16. Though times are changing, Fatima has a degree and is doing a masters, she is 24 and no kids yet! 'Is it true that there are hardly any virgins in Europe?' she asked....we weren't sure what to say!
We were woken at 4.30am on Wednesday to the sound of Puja (praying) from the Buddhist temple at the top of the hill. No offence but if this was in England they'd probably be given an ASBO! Don't know if you will remember my entry about the Buddhist dance festival...the puja music is like malfunctioning bagpipes! The day didn't start too well, it was so hot that our circles of dough got stuck together so we had to do them again lol.
We were given the morning off teaching to sort everything out. My, it is difficult trying to sweep a carpet with a brush made of twigs! We discovered some very large cockroaches in our room 'Ahhhh!' we were screaming and jumping around our room so much that Mrs T came in to check we were ok. Packing was quite hard, we came here will full bags and its amazing how much stuff you accumulate in 4 months! I so wish I hadn't brought a coat, gloves, wool hat and so many pairs of trousers lol.
On Wednesday afternoon we got the whole school out in the ground for our leaving assembly. It was going well until it started raining - though the principal told us to continue! We gave out thank you cards and two big piles of books and CDs we had brought with us. We handed out certificates for the best project books and chocolates & mini thank you letters to everyone. We did an egg drop competition - 2 out of the 3 eggs survived!
Our last evening walk was great - we took all the kids! It started raining heavily so everyone got soaked. Then in the evening there was a knock at the door, it was the Thapas armed with four large whiskeys and some special snacks - peeled apple, bombay mix and best of all buffalo meat! We sat on our beds and chatted about all sorts from the army to education. We heard that they plan to build classrooms in the ground and have the ground on the rooftop. Their eldest son Prenit brother has just secured funding to do a phD starting next week which is great news. However we were sad to hear that at the moment the school will not be getting any volunteers in August, breaking the back to back 8 seasons they have had since 2006. They should hopefully get volunteers in February but since the recession unfortunately the numbers of Lattitude volunteers has declined. With no volunteers or Prenit we wonder who will be there for the kids...... :-s
India is a contradiction....
a place you both love and hate simultaneously! I read this idea on Sunday morning in a fantastic book - 'The Geography of Bliss.' I am so glad I decided to come here for my gap year project :-) I too, like the author of that book have felt much love (and only some hate!) for my time here. My friend Bex summed it up brilliantly when I once called her up in desperation a few months back over the 'cauliflower incident - 'this wasn't supposed to be easy Kate, one of the reasons you went was for the experience.' I'm glad we faced difficulties, as in overcoming them I learned lots along the way. Some people wax lyrically about going travelling 'to find themselves' but I reckon if you believe have to leave the country to get to know yourself you probably won't find out much! However being in a new place with new people does give you the chance to push yourself and try lots of new things.
I've posted some of my feedback for Lattitude below which I hope you will find interesting - we were specifically asked to mention problems and advice we would give to future volunteers. I'm so proud to have now completed 4 months volunteering, it is definitely one of the best things I have ever done. I wonder whether my life will ever be so different again?!
The next time I write this I should be on the other side of the country in Delhi! I am so excited, especially as I am hopefully meeting up with Mark - a good friend of mine from uni :-) It will be so good to see a friendly face after 4 months without seeing anyone I know. Though we have to get through a 30 hour train ride first...!
Love Kate xxx
Julia Kinch & Kate Langley
Feedback for Lattitude - Blue Diamond, Ghayabari
Overall we are very happy to have been placed at Blue Diamond and have found it to be a hugely enriching experience. We would advise future volunteers that this placement is quite different to others in the area, mainly in relation to working hours, involvement and proximity to boarders, remoteness, food issues and creativeness. It is definitely a placement where you will be heavily involved at all times. This brings a great sense of fulfilling participation but at times things can be quite trying and tough. You are expected to be way more than just a teacher!
Teaching
We taught art, games, music, dance, songs and spoken English. The children didn't have any books which made things very difficult at first! We therefore devised the Lattitude Project and asked the children to each purchase a special book to use in lessons with us. Corporal punishment is the main (if not only) form of discipline. The classrooms are basic and very cramped though we were allowed to take the kids outside to the ground in the afternoons. You are given free reign in the classroom which is great - you can be as modern and creative as you are able! Unlike most other placements you are expected to teach on Saturday mornings however we were always excused if going to meet friends.
Volunteers are required to work mornings at Regal Academy, a branch school in Tindaria village. One volunteer will travel each morning by school bus. Unfortunately returning to Ghayabari (5km away) often proved difficult. Due to a lack of buses, hitching or walking uphill in the morning sun were often the only options. Regal Academy is a small school catering for playgroup, nursery, KG and class one, with three teachers and an assistant. As it was only set up in 2009 it is still very much it a developmental stage. For example, there is no running water, electricity or toys and we felt that especially with the younger students (aged 3) some parents saw Regal as primarily childcare. The teachers are lovely and the new rooftop ground is a massive improvement from the kids playing football inside the classroom!
Ghayabari
Future volunteers need to be made aware that this is a rural village with few amenities and infrequent public transport. There are just a few shops selling snacks and nowhere to buy fresh food. On the positive side, the views are unrivaled and due to its relatively lowly hill location the weather was on the whole very pleasant - much warmer than Darjeeling (no thermals needed!).
Thapa family life & the boarders
On arrival we were met with a massive welcome which although humbling was quite overwhelming. We felt there were very high expectations of us!
Our room was recently decorated and we felt most privileged to have a western en-suit. There are currently 26 boarders across three bedrooms (sharing only 19 beds), so conditions are very crowded. A few years ago there were just 10 boarders and as such the possibilities for activities with them has changed dramatically with regard to logistics and resources. We loved chatting with the hostel kids and going on evening walks. Particular highlights included a May Day party, talent show and World Environment Day rally. Sadly activities such as craft, sports and music could only be done occasionally and were only possible if numbers were restricted (e.g. At weekends some boarders would go home). Aside from one other resident teacher, we were the only external source of entertainment for the boarders out of school hours.
Living at Blue Diamond involved us volunteering between 6am and 6pm daily. Our day started in the kitchen, preparing potatoes and making bread for breakfasts for over 30 people. We liked to help in this way but found it irksome when breakfast was frequently not ready, despite our best efforts to help! This caused problems for the volunteer going to Regal Academy as they had to leave at 8am. Three small circles of roti bread is not enough to sustain a teacher for a full morning!
Food
Kate found the food situation the most difficult part of life at the school. We were expected to take minimal portions and were scolded on occasion for taking too much. We fully expected to eat rice and dahl daily but the severe lack of fruit and vegetables, combined with long gaps between meals (dinner was 8.30-9pm), left us feeling weak and lethargic. In Julia's case she frequently felt under the weather. We would therefore strongly recommend that future volunteers bring multivitamins & minerals and are prepared to buy food (cereal, milk, bananas, bread - from Tindharia), to supplement their diet.
Contacting previous volunteers
Hilary & Rosalie (Feb 09) and Laura (Aug 09) were very helpful. None of the other previous volunteers responded to our emails as most of the addresses no longer existed! Do provide our details to the next set of volunteers.
Wow what a big update! lol. Hope everyone is well, looking forward to seeing many of you soon :-)
Love Kate xxx
P.S. Some interesting facts about India...
* Has the greatest number of children in the world.
* Has the greatest number of children in primary school in the world.
* 75% of the population live in rural areas.
* 47% of the population live in one-room homes
