Placement - Week 9

Yo Ho Yo Ho It's a pirates life for me!

This week....... I have been reading Treasure Island....... I have been aboard a dinky rowing boat around a fort..... I have indulged in a bit of rum..... Plus, Will commented on the fact I looked like a 'lost boy' this morning (makes a refreshing change from Victorian Chimney sweep).........

Not really sure why this week has revolved around the pirate theme but I've enjoyed it nonetheless. We have been doing some work though, promise! Myself, Will and VD trekked to a school many miles away to award them their beloved trophies and certificates.... they really do mean the world to the kids here... it makes them so happy. We also had a rather important meeting in the office on Wednesday.... it was the Vellore team's review meeting for the entire program since our arrival (most of it was in Tamil however so we understood only bits and bobs),its always great to have the whole of the vellore team together. It'd probably a bit late to tell introduce the who's whos' but ill give you a quick run down anyway. There's VD our district co-ordinator, Raziya and Rekha (our national Volunteers/ translators), the international volunteers (Myself, Will and Jack), and about 15 Local Volunteers who mainly only speak Tamil. Everyone's kind of become one big family though and its such a great team to work with. The reason I say this is it kind of feels like the placement is coming to an end.... and it is really..... we're in April already?!? The work pace definately feels like its slowing as we're given the opportunity to enjoy more free time as our days are numbered. It's going to be very sad saying goodbye to all these guys.

We had a great weekend this week though, after a small meeting with an NGO, which was strangely enough in a park near the fort, Vadi took us on a mini adventure..... we went boating and enjoyed some time in a temple. Its so difficult to achieve anything here during the days because its literally so bloody hot... its draining just sitting in the shade breathing... its quite ridiculous. Saturday also saw us invited round Vadi's house for a party, which was delightful.... sitting on the roof terrace in the evening with a breeze!! Will also joined some of the locals playing some volleyball. Today... well we've spent most the day at our cooks house, she has very kindly cooked us both breakfast and lunch.... we are all full to the brim. Indian's love hosting, and they love feeding you! That's kind of why I also feel like its coming to an end, were doing so many final visits to homes..... only 10days left and my Indian adventure will be over! Although I can't lie... I am looking forward to so much when I get home....... especially food that isn't a. boiled or b. fried!

Placement - Week 8

Apart from a few visits to schools to award more trophies and certificates, plus a little trip to the bank to gather information for our group in the mountains, most of this week has been spent preparing for our livelihoods event on Saturday, and here is your invitation to that very event.......

Yes, that's right.... special motivation address by.... Mr Tanya Colvin! I really am famous..... and male apparently! They really did go to so much effort I hadn't the heart to say anything. Vadi, our programme manager here in Vellore has been working his bottom off preparing for this event (going to countless meetings all week), it really was a massive deal. Vadi presented each of us with our very own invitation the day before for us to keep and it really did mean the world. So, Saturday. It was an early rise but we didn't have to travel too far, and not knowing what to expect, on our arrival we were chaperoned into an office where we met the members of Bhartha Amma Social Services, (this was the organisation we teamed up with for the event and was also family run). The proceedings began at 10am and we were first confronted with..... the national anthem?!? Oh yes we went through both the Indian and English national anthems, it was a very bizarre situation and start to the day. Next came several votes of thanks; it was also at this point that all of the guest speakers addressed our young people. We were ourselves awarded a trophie and a blanket was placed around our shoulders. Our pictures were taken so many times it was starting to get a little bit ridiculous but they absolute cherish photographs here and this was definitely an event to capture. Jack then kicked off the day with his workshop on 'soft and hard skills' for which he conducted a game entitled 'treasure hunt' that really broke the ice with the young people. For lunch, we were treated like royalty, and ate upstairs with the 'special guests'- it was delicious! The family's daughter then gave me some henna, before Will kicked off the afternoon with his 'CV Skills', which was wonderfully interactive and of great use to the young people we were addressing. Then it was my turn....... 'Interview Skills'. I really did have so much fun, a particular highlight was a role play in which I acted out a scenario of how not to behave in an interview - they loved it. I also went through the different stages of the interview, how to sell yourself (using an exercise of selling a pen), and a listening exercise we used in Africa. Best of all was reading the feedback of the day from the participants themselves and they all found it useful, learnt plenty and had a great time - a definite success. A brilliant day, but it went so fast! Even more exciting.....we made it into the national newspaper, 'The Hindu'... in which they particularly mention that 'the seminar also incorporated non formal educational techniques such as games, acting and thorough audience participation'..... you can read the whole article here http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3249799.ece




Sunday saw myself and Jack visit another one of the volunteers home. On route they were keen to show us the temple city...... and a city of temples it most definite was. The area was vast and the floor was scorching under the sun (as you can't wear shoes), I definitely burnt my poor feet. We were blessed countless times, queuing up for the more popular Gods and collecting quite an array of blessings on our foreheads. Best of all, and an absolute highlight so far, I was blessed..... by an ELEPHANT! It was absolutely enormous, and painted in looked even more magnificent. Standing directly in front on this gigantic animal was an experience in itself. It was in no way restrained an it complete dwarfed me (I wasn't scared but maybe I should have been given that it could have trampled me). I put out my hand and the elephant took my rupee with its trunk, after which I bowed my head and tip of its trunk (slightly curled) rested on the top of my head before gently rolling forward and then off - Wow! There was something very special about feeling the breath of this colossal animal on both my hand and my head. It is definitely something I will always remember. I immediately turned to Jack after and was so excited, we had both just been blessed by an elephant, 'amazing eh?' To which he replied........ 'So, basically, that elephant just robbed me, and then smacked me round the head'...... admittedly, Jack did not receive the same gentle blessing that I had experienced, and the trunk did come crashing down on his head with some speed, but I guess it can't get it right every time.

Placement - week 7

Myself, Vadi (kneeling) and Jack at the Temple

Livelihoods has begun..................

Monday - the Vellore team set forth to meet with our first group..... up a mountain! So wedged into a rickshaw we twisted and turned round and round until we reached our village. It really was very remote and very beautiful. After a small discussion we tried to gather what it was the young people wanted from our sessions but they encouraged to come back at the weekend as that was when more of the young people would be around.... so that was our plan! On the way down the mountain we stopped at a lead factory - the smell was quiet something and we even got a sneaky peak in to see the furnaces. It was interesting to see some of the jobs on offer for the young people in this area.

Tuesday was spent with all of the local volunteers as we spent most of the day going through the top-up training we had in Chennai last week. The local volunteers were unable to come to this because quiet simply they don't speak much English. We therefore relayed the information that was given to us and it was kindly translated by our nation volunteers.

For much of the rest of the week, myself and Will set about the task of compiling the information into a workable form. Basically we have been constructing a programme guide much like the one that was prepared for us in the civic participation module. Its been a fairly interesting process. Friday we were also joined in the office by Katy who also works for Restless, she was about helping Vadi sort the finances for Vellore. She also joined us for dinner that evening. It was so refreshing to talk to someone new, as much as I love both Will and Jack, they have been the majority of my company for the past 9 weeks. It also made me realise how secluded your world is when your living in a community where you don't speak the language. I am so unaware of what's going on around me which in turn makes for quiet a lonely time, you are often the observer yet you can't always comprehend what it is your observing. Its a strange experience but for example back home, (not that I often listening in on people's conversations) when your on a train or at a restaurant or in a shop you can understand what people are saying to each other all the time..... here I quiet often don't have a clue.

The weekend brought with a delightful trip to one of the local volunteers houses for lunch. It was quiet an expedition to say the least as it involved a long walk in the mid-day sun through much farming land, it was so beautiful though to go as rural as we did, we also visited a temple that was even further out in the wilderness but again most definitely worth it. A highlight of the day was drinking fresh coconuts that were obtained by a young lad from the village climbing to the top of a coconut tree - it was amazing to watch.

on route to the Nesamani's house

Sunday - Mothers day! We spent the morning at another volunteers house for lunch (they love to feed is here) and after full tummy's we headed back to the village we visited earlier in the week. We attempted to run our first session but we encountered quiet a few initial problems. Basically the whole village turned out for the meeting so there was very small children right up to the elders. The problem arose when we were trying to deliver some of the module to the young people in the village the elders were constantly interject with (at times) irrelevant points..... it got extremely frustrating. Our task now is going to have to be to work with the young people separately from the entire village as whole. A frustrating session but one that we've definitely learnt a lot from. It also became apparent they they don't seem to be interested in many of the sessions that we have prepared such as CV writing/ interviews skills ect....... so the contents of the module is also going to have to be tweaked too. A long and tiring end to week...... but I've only three weeks left in India, time really is flying!

Smoke Free Me

Oh yes.......... I think the time has come to tell you all that............. I have not had a cigarette in over 5 weeks. Yes count them...... FIVE WEEKS!!! How crazy it that?!?

I have wanted to quit for a while now and India has provided me with the opportunity in which to do it. Primarily because it is illegal to smoke in the streets here and no.... absolutely NO Indian women smoke.I did smoke a little in the first few weeks of training but it wasn't long after we were comfortably in our placements that I thought.... its now or never. I also might have a little book to thank that my beautiful friend Dave lent me..... Allen Carr's Easy way to Quit smoking, I urge anyone who smokes to read it. I definitely think it helped me. But yeah I figure its been 5 weeks now so hopefully I can keep it up when I get home, its been a lot easier just living with the lads as both Will and Jack don't smoke. I also realised the other day that since landing in India over two months ago I have literally spent only two hours on my own.... I am always with someone. I'd of thought that the idea of this would drive me mad.... but I think it may of actually helped.

I have possibly put on a little weight with the combination of not smoking and the constant rice but it'll obviously be worth it for...... a smoke free me!

Placement - Week 6

This week has flown by........ we only have about one month left in India - madness!

On Monday it was decided that our top-up training would be on Wednesday, the location of our training....... Chennai. Oh yes, it was time to travel back to where it all began. So on Tuesday, Will, Jack, myself and Katy (who had been stranded with us all last week due to being struck down by the wedding food) made the horrifying journey back to the city. I say it was bad only because there are a fair few long bus journeys involved, and Indian buses are bad at the best of times but of late the temperature is soaring...... the heat is literally blistering and the buses are jam packed and sweaty..... not fun. But journey we did, and arrive we did. We were staying with the rest of the Chennai girls in their placement house, which was quite a trek down a dusty road that is constantly being dug up - very bizarre.

So, Wednesday brought the livelihoods training, and along with this my first Indian train ride........ what an experience. As we waited on the platform I instantly knew I was in for a treat. Much like the buses the Indian folk don't seem to understand the concept of there not being any space, and as doors do not exist in India, they take any opportunity and risk there lives on a daily basis. The sight of folk hanging off the outside of buses is one thing, but when its trains..... health and safety anyone? Anyway, board we did (in the female carriage lucky enough) because we were wedged in like sardines, and I was a little too close to the door (sorry where the door should have been) when we started moving until I pushed my way further into the carriage......not a comfortable journey in the slightest.

This is how packed the trains can get......luckily ours wasn't this bad!

However, the other trains we caught were far less packed and its actually very refreshing to be able to sit with a breeze from the doorway. We spent the entire day at Asha Niva's (where our training began back in Jan) and I've definitely picked up a few ideas for how the livelihoods programme is going to work. Basically we'll be working with small groups of out of school youth helping them improve their lives, were be running English lessons, and helping them develop their personal skills as well as providing them with the knowledge about employment opportunities and government schemes that are available to them - very excited to get started! The end of the day saw a short trip to a shopping mall - where I found......... a MARS BAR!!! - it was under lock and key but I was so determined for a chocolate fix - it was the best mars bar I've ever tasted!!!

Will, myself and Becca on the less packed train

Thursday brought with it a very relaxing day..... it was a public holiday I believe. We took advantage of the fact we were in the city for a few days and decided to head to the cinema.... our movie of choice.... Iron Lady. I never realised how much I missed films but having not watched anything for two months it was great to get lost in the world of a film. Earlier in the week we had decided to spend out weekend in a place called Pondicherry (a place some of the girls visited the previous weekend), but given how much of an epic bus journey it would be back to Vellore and hearing the girls description on the place we decided against this epic adventure. Instead Jack headed back to Vellore and (given that I'd spent most of last week in bed and didn't really feel in any rush to get back), myself and Will headed to ......... Mahaps. The place we visited about a month ago, a beaut little town where many a back - packer travel through. I definitely needed a bit of chill out and this place was perfect. The first place we headed on our arrival...... a restaurant to get some tasty food (as close to western as it gets for India). Then Will went for a cheeky dip in the sea, where he was unfortunately stung by a jelly fish, I was then charged at by a cow.... it was very bizarre set of events, but brilliant none the less. We spent most the time shopping for a few gifts to take back with us and chilling out. We only stayed the one night before heading back on Saturday (another disastrous bus ride), before boarding however we found a few awesome lil sight seeing treats (including a beautiful elephant carved into a rock). I will be uploading all my pic's as soon as I get back to the UK.

Generally a great week. Plus, I am so eager to start the livelihoods programme now...... let the adventure continue.......

Placement - Week 5

In contrast to last week this week could not be more different.

I've been thinking a lot about the wedding we went to this week. Firstly because we were having a chat with the local volunteers on whether they would prefer an arranged marriage or what they call a 'love marriage'. Most of them said arranged marriage and I guess I just found this a little shocking; it reminded me of the bride and groom of the wedding we went to. Throughout the duration of the weekend I couldn't help but notice they never actually spoke to each other and furthermore they didn't often smile. We later found out that theirs was in fact an arranged marriage and they hadn't actually met until that weekend. A truly bizarre concept for myself to understand but here it just seems to be so ingrained in the culture. There has been another reason I have been thinking about the wedding this week and that is because the wedding food has massively upset our belly's. We spent Monday morning handing out certificates and shields to schools who participated in the previous dance for life module and since Monday afternoon........ KaBam!?! We were struck down we fever and belly cramps. So, myself and Katy have done very little all week. The boys who decided not to go the wedding have been absolutely fine, but after contacting the Chennai girls and hearing their similar predicament we concluded................ Bloody wedding food!!!

I did however manage to drag myself out of bed on Friday as we had another NGO, (Raleigh) come to the office to investigate how we work. They're planning on running a similar programme to the one we run here in the West of India, so we brought them along to a school to show them how we worked (well, Will and Jack taught - I still wasn't feeling too peachy). So, yeah that was pretty interesting.

Unfortunately not much to say this week other than.........being ill in India is no fun.

Placement - Week 4

This week has been a week of dancing.....yes, me.....dancing.......crazy!.... its been busy and at times exhausting, but I think I can comfortably say that it has probably been one of the most enjoyable weeks so far.

Monday and Tuesday were spent in the office, dealing with expenses (Restless are kind enough to give us back all of the money we spend on travel), and typing up a few short documents about our take on the modules successes and improvements that could be made. It was a fairly easy two days and a great relief to have a few days off traveling around Vellore on the disastrously sweaty buses. It also gave us the opportunity to catch up on some reading and boring things like washing..... the absolute bane of my life as its all done by hand!

Wednesday saw a complete change of pace. We were up early and set sail just after 8am (which is incredibly early for Indians, plus another small miracle worth a mention is that our cook had lunches prepared before this time - amazing! - its not happened since though and I doubt it will happen again). The whole team joined together once more, our destination...... a school! It was quiet an expedition to get to with a substantial bus journey followed by a good 20mins in a rickshaw (with 7 of us wedged in - I think Jack still holds the record though for about 10 and a goat but apparently they fit 16?!?).When we arrived I ended up taking 9th standard (Volunteering and the Right to Information Act), it went very well, kids were really interactive and it was pleasure to teach. After the lesson however, some of the girls wanted me to dance, I agreed and one of them taught me some Indian dance moves.... I ended up dancing in front of both 9th standard classes, I probably looked a complete wally but they absolute loved it and it was such good fun - until a teaching with a cane chased them away - felt a bit bad about that because I had been the source of their shouting and screaming. We had lunch and then (after being followed by a ridiculously large group of girls as I walked across the field to the toilet) we spent the rest of the lunch break playing with the kids. Will and Jack attempted to teach the boys football - which resulted in them constantly picking the ball up. The news of my dancing must have spread around the school as I was now confronted by the all of the girls in the entire school begging for me to dance..... and I of course obliged - it was such good fun and (I've no idea why) but they absolutely loved it! It also turns out that there were too many of us in the rickshaw as on the return journey Will's bum was hit by an oncoming rickshaw as he was forced to sit half in, half out.... fear not though he is quiet well.

Given the success of the previous day, VadiValen decided to set up some time for us to simply go into the schools and play games with the kids...... well this is what we were told anyway. When we got to the school the headmaster was expecting us to teach a lesson on hygiene?!? Bit of a shock as you can imagine but  we think it was more of a logistic issue to get us through the door, although we did still had to teach a lesson on hygiene. It was a bit shaky to begin with as we had to think on our feet but we delivered some key messages.After the break however I quickly devised a lesson structure for 6th and 7th that worked a dream. It covered all the areas you would expect (washing hands, clothes, flushing toilets, don't eat street food ect) but I animated each with a physical action and got one volunteer to help me with each one, by the end I had the whole class up singing and acting away to 'This is the way we wash our hands, wash our hand, wash our hands.....early in the morning......' It was so much fun and its incredibly rewarding when you have to think so quickly and it really pays off. We also (given that we were outside) took the opportunity to play some active games. We taught them bulldog and they taught us an interesting game called 'GoGo" - its absolutely brilliant!

As if the week hadn't already been a success, Friday was a perfect end to the week. We again found ourselves at an all girls school and they were......... brilliant. I again found myself teaching 9th standard and they were so engaged with the material. They were very interactive and went wild for the team games that we're using to get the kids thinking for themselves.I don't know if news of my dancing is spreading across Vellore but they also had me up at the front of the class at the end of the lesson dancing away to their cheers. Lunch was pretty mental as we were surrounded by loads of girls clambering and climbing across tables and chairs just to get a glimpse of us. I am constantly shaking peoples hands and answering the question 'what is your name?' Many of the kids at the front were getting crushed as their classmates were pushing them from behind trying to get closer to us - a little claustrophobic to say the least. It was good fun though and we sung songs for them as they did for us. After lunch we tackled 8th standard (Civic duties and Civic rights) which was (if possibly) even more of a success. They were also very keen to see me dance. The highlight of the day though was a last minute game that myself and Rekha quickly devised. It so hard to play games with the kids in Indian schools because the classrooms are so small and the number of kids in each class is so high. But we utilized the small space in between the rows and the game of course involved me looking silly a lot of the time acting out different scenarios and being different animals. It is still the most bizarre feeling when the kids gather round, pens at the ready screaming..'autograph....autograph'. After an awkward toilet trip where I had to ask Rekha to tell the 9th standard students from the morning lesson to leave the toilet so I could lock the door (and when I say toilet I of course mean hole in the floor). We went to find Jack and Razier, the girls from their lesson did this thing where they pinch my cheek and then kiss their forefinger and thumb, apparently its a sort of blessing. It was very sweet until they all then started grabbing at my cheeks. However, it was still a great end to an awesome week.

This weekend we were all invited to an Indian wedding (one of the guys that work at Restless brother was getting married). Indian weddings are strange in that they have a party Saturday night and then get married early Sunday morning.... obviously there was no alcohol but its still a bizarre set up in my opinion. The wedding wasn't really interesting the boys so I went lone to meet the girls from Chennai. I was lucky enough to get a lift from Kartick (another guy on the Restless staff), he pulled up in a car that looked more at home alongside grease lightning, with essentially two sofa's inside. We arrived in true Indian style..... late, and I quickly got changed into my saree. The whole wedding was so colorful!! We had a traditional dinner (on banana leafs) and sat in the main room, where we quickly learnt, that only Indian men dance, until they invited us to dance that is - the whole place went crazy! Everyone was trying to film it and even the wedding photographer shone his bright light to capture the scene for the couples wedding video.We then shortly found out that at a wedding everyone stays at the venue, which basically means there are no beds! We eventually manage d to wangle a room ( we were going to sleep on the balcony above the main room with loads of Indian women) we were provided with...... nothing.... just a room and a hard tiled floor, not the most comfortable nights sleep I've ever had if I'm honest. The wedding ceremony in the morning though made it all worth while. It took place on the stage in the main room and  they do some peculiar things, they set fire to coconuts and smash them, they also have a rope that the tie their heads (that signifies different things), and wash their in laws feet. We were also invited on stage, which was wierd given that we were complete outsiders. We got to chuck rice at the couple though which was pretty cool (kind of like our confetti tradition). Anyway a great experience, we are so lucky to have been able to experience an Indian wedding in India. Its been quiet a week to say the least.