Vomiting, Christmas Angels, and the Essence of Violets

Dear India,
We have been seeing one another now for almost 2 wonderful months! There are, however, some serious issues I'd like to address. I think you are bi polar. What's worse, you take me along for the ride. I soar with such great heights of joy and crash land into bitter sorrow, all trying to keep up with you. Perhaps you should get some help. And no, we are not breaking up.
Love Always,
Claire


Since my birthday, I could write a book's worth of blog stuff. I am staying at Vadu almost constantly. The reason  is that I have been teaching morning classes and evening classes. If I were to go to the office, I wouldn't be back in time for my 6 o'clock class. So I stay and teach. Teaching has been a challenging affair. The students are there voluntarily, and in addition to their regular schooling. That's a long time to hold still and learn!! My efforts have been to make it as fun as possible. I try to make a lot of games. When classes go well and students leave skipping and singing new songs or I hear them shout new vocabulary at one another, I am so happy. I float around feeling wonderful and encouraged to make the next class even better. When the classes go poorly, however, I crawl out from the class room sighing and trying to figure out how I ended up a teacher at all. It can be REALLY difficult to teach something without being able to explain it. For example: I was unable to teach "go fish" as a way to practice vocabulary. I made cards with pictures and then cards with the words. But there are too many steps to explain without knowing Marathi. It flopped. Also, after confusing my students with a test, I found out from someone that India does not use multiple choice. No wonder they didn't get it. Crazy American girl- what do you mean "A, B or C?"


Something unsettling about India is that it's making my hair fall out. Yep. You read it right. I guess it's not an unusual problem cuz of the water, but I am upset about it. Too much hair is in my hand when I finish combing my hair. I may laugh about this someday with a full ponytail, but I am ready to weep over it now. It's not showing yet, but this is awful. I am asking around to see what to do and I'm only washing my hair with filtered water from now on. Someone want to do some research for me? PLEASE? It wasn't falling out at home!!!! Help me! HELP!

I have a guitar. This has been a wonderful thing. It belongs to Maher, and had been sitting unused and dusty. The tabla teacher, Vijay, was kind enough to take it to his music shop and get new strings for it. It isn't the nicest guitar by far, and won't hold it's tuning no matter how I cuss at it, but it's still fantastic. Noone seems to care what sour notes come out of it. I am a rock star here- playing the absolute worst music of my life to the most enthusiastic crowd ever! I have started to teach occasional guitar lessons to a few of the older boys and girls. It doesn't seem to matter that I'm not very good at it. I use it in my English classes sometimes too, as an add in. I taught jingle bells- the song I have learned to love. I have sang it a million times since the holidays. Its so cute to hear them sing about snow and sleighs in their Indian accent. I was going to play for the Christmas program, but.......

On the 22nd, I woke up with a headache and a slight tummy ache. I taught a class even though it felt like a cement mixer had replaced my digestive system. It wasn't that bad then, so I thought I would rest after class. I ate a small breakfast and went to my room to rest a bit. Things went down hill from there. My head ache got worse and my stomach did too. At this point i knew I was sick, but I had no idea how much. One of the staff came to check on me by 3:30 to ask if I wanted to go to the hospital, but I didn't think it was anything other than a flu. In one hour, I was ready to go to the doctor- it progressed into intensive body ache, vomiting, diarrhea, head ache, and an impending sense of doom. The hour plus ride to the hospital could be described as hell. I fought against India's MANY odors and traffic to not vomit and/or the unmentionable. I prayed to God not to have to pull over the car and vomit with my pants down on the side of the road during rush hour. God is great. I made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have an infection in my stomach, most likely due to bad water/food/mysteriousness. I have been careful with water, so who knows? I was in the hospital for 5 or so days! They felt my stomach would riot against the medications I needed, so I was on an IV drip most of that time. It turns out IV's are totally overrated. They aren't great at all- they hurt a lot. My hospital was very nice all except for the fact that my IV did not have wheels, so every time I had to go to the bathroom, I had to be disconnected and reconnected after. This made my veins and wrists huuuuuurt. They switched hands 2 times. I still have sore wrists. The first night in the hospital was horrible and I'll spare you the ooey gooey details. But I was never alone. Sister Lucy did not sleep at all the night, just to make sure I was okay. And Gause (one of the boys who will come to America) slept on the floor all night too. I was thankful and quite horrified that they heard me barf all night.

There were some highlights to my hospital in India Christmas. After the first night, Lucy left and sent a woman named Mangul to look after me. I had met Mangul before at Vatsyladam (one of Maher's homes) where she takes care of elderly patients 7 days a week with a smile on her face. She speaks some English, and however limited, the warmth of her heart is right on her sleeve. She's a stunningly beautiful 27 year old, and I thought of her as my Christmas Angel. She'd bring me anything I needed. She's massage my head when i had a head ache. She even combed my hair ( I stopped fighting her after awhile- "I can do it- no- I can do it- it's okay). The hospital, you see, was a lot of letting it go, just like the rest of my trip here has been. I didn't like that she was missing all the celebrations just for me. I didn't like feeling helpless. Christmas eve I lay asleep gently weeping in frustration over the whole thing. But as I layed there, I thought of people like Mangul, so willing to give without any words of praise. I thought of how great I was in comparison to the people only just outside my hospital. I thought of all the unspoken heroes, the angels, that I were in Maher alone. I felt so grateful and moved. I cried some more for joy, wondering if I'll ever be able to give any of this back.

Another big highlight to the hospital was Indian TV!!!!! How amusing! I got a full education on Hindi films, which are pretty awful by any Americans' standards, I think. Most themes are love, and every damn one is a musical. I liked watching them all the same.I got to watch a few American movies, including (ironically) Slumdog Millionare, Chicago (so much skin!!), and the Accidental Bride. I also really enjoyed the commercials. Highlights: Dominos pizza had a pizza with a strange cream sauce but no tomato sauce, a diaper called "MAMMY NOKO PANTS" and a pad commercial that at the end says "Have a happy period!" I did also read a few books, and I had a lot of visitors. Oh!!!! there was a news story that showed footage of a tiger that tackled a guy!!!! Holy crap!!!! Not a local story, in case you were wondering.

I'm out of the hospital and recovering slowly. I am scared of eating anything that isn't bland. I feel okay except that my strength hasn't returned yet. Glad that tiger isn't around here. I am taking extra care of myself so that I will be well enough to go on a trip to Karola in a few days for a wedding and sight seeing. Karola is supposed to be very beautiful and I just love traveling in India.

I'm sure there's more but I am out of time. Love everyone and Happy new year!!!!!! The essence of violets thing in the title was from a band I was in "The Timid Mergers Apathetic Warriors and the Essence of Violets". I just really like "the essence of violets" and it's my blog.

One Month Down, Two to Go

My blog has been stalled because my schedule has completely changed. I no longer go to the Pune Office everyday. I stay at Vadu and teach. Being an adaptable person is a must for being here in India, and teaching is no different. I came to Maher ready to tutor 4 students in English. Now I am adapting to teaching 50-60 students! I would be lying if I didn't say this terrified me, but I wasn't about to say I wouldn't try. As I like to say,  "Trying is the first step towards failure." Or Sucess. The first challenge was trying to find a way to figgure out what level each class was at. I'm teaching a mix of ages, from 11-19. I am glad I had that class on tutoring or I wouldn't have a clue of what to do. Most of the students are at a very low level of understanding English, and even lower at speaking it. It's a challenge to teach without being fluent in Marathi myself. The first class was so perfect it gave me the courage for the next one. Picture this: it's 8:30am. My class room has windows that are missing so there's a warm breeze drifting through the room. Sunlight is streaming in, and there's about ten sparrows that are noisily chatting overhead (they live in the classroom and drop straw from their nests on the floor everyday). I have my books and lesson plan on my lap, chalk ready and "Good Morning" written across the blackboard, ready to go. My seven students filter in, late. They are all 12 to 13 yr old boys, but thye are all smiin gand ready to learn. They listen and laugh. They learn!!!! As they left, I was on cloud nine. maybe I CAN teach!!!!

Not all my classes have gone so smoothly. The evening classes had too mcuh energy. they had been in school all day and now they didn't want to sit still. A few took advantage of the fact that I am a marshmellow. I had new rules I wanted to make, but how could I explain them? And how do you bitch a student out with such a language barrier? Students came late. Students came that weren't even on the list. Studensts came form other classes. It was time to ask for help. We had a meeting with Hira and she really let them have it. We got the schedule stait and new rules were layed down. We set up another class too because so many other students wanted to learn English. So now I have 12 classes a week. (God help me.) I also still need to figgure out the Thursday night class because Thurday's there's no power so it will be too dark to teach. I had to cancel last Thursday. This Thursday I need to plan a class with flashlights and no black board.




A week or so ago, we had a group come by to tour Maher. I walked in the office and was surprised to see a white guy there. Then I turned around and saw that there was a whole group, very mixed. Their group is called Action for life. They go around the world meeting people who make big changes and learn from them. (There's probably a lot more to them than that, but I am still learning about them). One was from Australia, one someplace in Europe I have never heard of (how embarassing), one from Kenya, one from Korea (I think), and one from China. I like to call them the superfriends. I went with them on their tour to Vatsalydam and we all chatted the whole way. I thought they were an amazing group of people and I was excited they intived me to visit them where they are staying in Punchguna (spelled wrong), about two hours away. I think I shall. I think I shall.

My birthday was amazing. I woke up early to celebrate with the children since I was going to be gone when they returned from school. Upon opening my door, 4 children were already sitting outside my door way. "Happy Birthday Didi!!!!!" They wanted to be the first ones to wish it to me. Then they all shook my hand. My birthday was off to a good start. The main room were we gathered was decorated in balloons and had a beautiful sand art creation on the floor with a prayer-lamp-thingy (that's not what they call it.) I sat on a cousion in front of it and we all had prayer. I lit the prayer-lamp-thingy with Sister Lucy, Hira, AND the birthday boy. Yes, it was not just my birthday: a little boy turned one, so i got to share! They said a prayer in marathi and then English. it included thanks for ME and how grateful they were, and how they wished me happiness, and on and on. I sat with my eyes closed very moved. I don't know that I deserved such a speech since I feel everything I give here is given back to me ten fold. I had to try REALLY hard not to cry in front of those 200 and some children and women. REALLY HARD. They blessed me with kum kum (that red and orange stuff that they put on your forhead). They put a flower garland on me. Then they brought a small cake that me and the birthday boy cut and ate like they do in weddings: I fed him and he fed me. Then sister Lucy. We passed out sweets the women and children and my day moved on quickly.

I was to prepare for my second Hindu Wedding, this one of a higher caste. I wore the apologetic clothing : the Sari. There was alot of running around to fit me into a blouse that made my boobs pointy, just like my Halloween coustume. Noone gets poked though, because your boobs and almost every other part of you gets securely wrapped up. I figgured i wouldn't need help dressing myself for quite some time, but here I was at 29, being dressed my two women. A sari is a complicated thing, much like wearing orgami. Fold here, here, and here. Pin this, this and this. I had to ask how to use the tiolet in it. The women also did my hair and put "matching" jewelry on me. My taste is a bit different, but they all said I looked "soondar" beautiful. We then rushed off with gifts in tote to the wedding.

This wedding was MUCH bigger than the last, about a thousand people. They gave gifts to US. The men and women sat seperately. I thought that was very strange. It was such a striking division: one side was every color you can think of with the women, the other was all white with the men (except for the orange hats that some wore as a sign of respect). This wedding was more organized. I was called on stage twice, once to receive a coconut (an official greeting), once for a photo. It was a beautiful wedding. We stopped and had a snack dinner at a restraunt. It was my first time eating out in a dinning situation. Lucy got me a Lassi which is better than any cake. I was very happy. I doubt I will be forgetting this birthday anytime soon.

I should also mention that a new volunteer showed up a few days ago, from London. Her name is Bernie and she will be here for the rest of the time I am here. She has a nice accent and offers me tea. It's nice to have another English speaking person around.



I am having problems taking enogh photographs. Everthing is intersting and picture worthy, and I'd love to paint alot of the things I see, but... Taking pictures of everyday things is hard. Picture this: you are on your way to work, or you are shopping, when some crazy foreigner is pointing a camera at you! How rude!! Plus, I'm always doing stuff and don't want to be toting a camera. So, my pictures are lacking and I feel I may regret it.

I use alot of restraint here. I want to frolic though the banana trees that are just down the road. Frolic- skipping, chasing insects, humming, the works. But I don't know who owns the field of how they would feel about the crazy woman running through it. I want to run down the road in the Village for exercise, but running isn't propper for women. I want to burst out laughing at many of the things I see, but I don't often. And I really want to cuss at traffic or things, but I do so only in my head. Again I'd like to state that my language skills aren't good enough to explain that I am (somewhat) sane.
Till next time, and who knows when that will be...

I can't believe it's December. It doesn't feel like December at all, what with the hot weather and lack of Christmas advertising. I am looking forward to my 29th birthday here with Maher! I think I will be spending the day after in Pune with my new friend Rohan for an Indian burger, and then the weekend with Z Germans at their flat. There has been talk of eating some Lassi (Lassies?). Bring it on!!! Christmas music might be lacking this year unless I get a guitar (an actual possibility) and play it myself. I wonder how the children will like my American songs. I don't think Dylan is popular here.

I am feeling so thankful to be a part of Maher, however small. It is amazing what they accomplish here! I find it hard to connect the horrible stories with all these wonderful people. There's always a lot going on. The children are back in school, so they are a lot busier than they were at holidays. Besides school, they teach the children Indian dance (really fun to watch!) and Karate. I have never been a huge fan of Karate, but it might be fun to do with the children. I am quite fond of them.