This week has been far more relaxed...........and I have welcomed it with open arms! The beginning few weeks were exhausting, because we quite simply had very little time off. The time we did have off we spent exploring and travelling. But, this week I can gratefully say that the pace has slowed. We have had time for reading, and the boys have even taught me the art of poker - I'm a natural.
Monday saw the Vellore team unite as Will, Jack and myself all trotted off to a school fairly close to our humble home. Jack and myself tackled 7th standard together in which the kids thoroughly enjoy my re-enactment of one of the stories. Although we were not there long and found ourselves with most of the afternoon to spare....... I snapped up the opportunity to have a cheeky snooze!
For much of the beginning of the week we often found ourselves in schools teaching. We are all more comfortable with the style in which these lessons need to be delivered, and it really is a case of reading the situation. Some kids can still go absolutely crazy just at the sight of you and when some kids asked for a group photo after one of the lessons I was happy to oblige. Forgetting of course how easily the kids got excited... I wedged my way through one of the rows and sat down, only to be bombarded by the entire class wanting to sit next to me. The situation could easily have gotten out of control and as I attempted to leave the mass of children I had about six kids attached to each arm.....lesson learnt: the simple prospect of a picture is far too exciting for the kids. There are a lot of things that I have had to learn since going into the schools on placement. Sometimes I have had to change my ideas on what 'non-formal- education techniques are. As there as so many ideas that we have to make the lessons amazingly interactive, but it's just not always possible. The space is sometimes so restricting that it limits our options but more what I have noticed is a simple instruction like 'stand up were going to play a game' excites the kids to a limit I never thought possible. The simple instruction to 'stand up' is something so foreign to what their understanding of 'being taught' entails. Going into schools here kind of reminds me of Victorian day when I was at primary school..... it's kind of like living in the past.
I also had the opportunity in the middle of the week to go to a temple with some of our volunteers. It was beautiful, set high up on a hill. Quiet funny though that on my way to climb to the stairs I was just about to put my foot on the first step when an old man started wildly yelling at me (I had no idea what he was so angry about as he was speaking in Tamil), the local volunteers angrily yelled something back and we proceeded. I quickly found out that the man was yelling because he thought I was about to enter wearing slippers....the volunteers had to explain that no, no, that is in fact the colour of my skin...... I really am as white as paper it would seem.
Thursday and Friday was not spent in schools but all the local volunteers came round for meetings and such things. I can also announce that we have already reached over 5700 kids. As our target for the month was 6000 we are very nearly there. We have since raised our target to 10,000. We have also been discussing the logistics of the after school clubs which we intend to start setting up shortly.
This weekend we were joined by Katy and Becca from Chennai.On Saturday we went to the Golden Temple.It was spectacular! Although no cameras or electrical are aloud in, (so we had to give these up at the gate, for which I was very dubious), which in turn means I have absolutely no pictures of this truly amazing place. On the other hand it was nice to just experience being there and not be distracted by the need to capture it. Plus I am sure there are many pictures on-line. Anyway I can't really describe how beautiful it was, but I will say........there was lot of Gold!
Today we spent the entire afternoon walking around the fort that is in Vellore. It has been an absolute scorcher of a day and we have spent much of our time running from one area of shade to the next. But it has most definitely been worth it. Given that we are in India and health and safety is non-existent, you can actually walk on the walls around the fort which made all of the views that much better. We also ventured into the temple that is situated in the middle of the fort which (like most of the temples I have been to recently) is home to many monkeys. So it was great fun to watch their antics and wonder around the temple. We were again asked for many photos today and the novelty is beginning to wear ever so slightly thin. Give it another week of so and I think we will all be sick to death of our new found fame.
Monday saw the Vellore team unite as Will, Jack and myself all trotted off to a school fairly close to our humble home. Jack and myself tackled 7th standard together in which the kids thoroughly enjoy my re-enactment of one of the stories. Although we were not there long and found ourselves with most of the afternoon to spare....... I snapped up the opportunity to have a cheeky snooze!
For much of the beginning of the week we often found ourselves in schools teaching. We are all more comfortable with the style in which these lessons need to be delivered, and it really is a case of reading the situation. Some kids can still go absolutely crazy just at the sight of you and when some kids asked for a group photo after one of the lessons I was happy to oblige. Forgetting of course how easily the kids got excited... I wedged my way through one of the rows and sat down, only to be bombarded by the entire class wanting to sit next to me. The situation could easily have gotten out of control and as I attempted to leave the mass of children I had about six kids attached to each arm.....lesson learnt: the simple prospect of a picture is far too exciting for the kids. There are a lot of things that I have had to learn since going into the schools on placement. Sometimes I have had to change my ideas on what 'non-formal- education techniques are. As there as so many ideas that we have to make the lessons amazingly interactive, but it's just not always possible. The space is sometimes so restricting that it limits our options but more what I have noticed is a simple instruction like 'stand up were going to play a game' excites the kids to a limit I never thought possible. The simple instruction to 'stand up' is something so foreign to what their understanding of 'being taught' entails. Going into schools here kind of reminds me of Victorian day when I was at primary school..... it's kind of like living in the past.
I also had the opportunity in the middle of the week to go to a temple with some of our volunteers. It was beautiful, set high up on a hill. Quiet funny though that on my way to climb to the stairs I was just about to put my foot on the first step when an old man started wildly yelling at me (I had no idea what he was so angry about as he was speaking in Tamil), the local volunteers angrily yelled something back and we proceeded. I quickly found out that the man was yelling because he thought I was about to enter wearing slippers....the volunteers had to explain that no, no, that is in fact the colour of my skin...... I really am as white as paper it would seem.
Thursday and Friday was not spent in schools but all the local volunteers came round for meetings and such things. I can also announce that we have already reached over 5700 kids. As our target for the month was 6000 we are very nearly there. We have since raised our target to 10,000. We have also been discussing the logistics of the after school clubs which we intend to start setting up shortly.
This weekend we were joined by Katy and Becca from Chennai.On Saturday we went to the Golden Temple.It was spectacular! Although no cameras or electrical are aloud in, (so we had to give these up at the gate, for which I was very dubious), which in turn means I have absolutely no pictures of this truly amazing place. On the other hand it was nice to just experience being there and not be distracted by the need to capture it. Plus I am sure there are many pictures on-line. Anyway I can't really describe how beautiful it was, but I will say........there was lot of Gold!
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