Getting settled.

---

Morning all back in the UK - hope it's not too chilly there! Just checked and it's a cool 30 degrees today over here!

So, what's happened since the last blog? Well, for one, I've started teaching the kids at the school. It's been a little bit hectic with teachers just not turning up to their lessons on time (time keeping is not an important thing in India) or even at all, so at times I've been thrown in to teach some classes I've not prepared for at all. But that's part of the fun. I'm finding that teaching maths is a lot easier than teaching English grammar or general knowledge (yes, I have to teach general knowledge..!?!?) as English is something I'm good at saying and writing but I'm not so clued up on the formal formulas necessary to make a 'legitimate' sentence... it sort of just happens... and general knowledge is just so vague that it's hard to fill a 40 minute lesson with just random facts.

Nonetheless, it's good fun and sometimes I'll just take them for a P.E class instead of GK. Next week I've arranged for all of the projects abroad volunteers to come to my school for a sports day where there will be a variety of competitions between the volunteers and the students (such as football and volleyball matches, as well as relay races and sprints). It should be a good laugh but because the government has insisted that the schools take a 3 day holiday mid-week this week (for some national sports fixture or something... don't ask..), we're yet to get any training in! Will have to rustle up two teams pretty sharpish next week.

Anyway, during the weekend a group of 13 of us went to a place down south called Ramishwaran (at least that's how it's pronounced) where I've been told you can see Sri Lanka (we couldn't see it). We stayed in a pretty sweet hotel where the girls had a whole suite for the 8 of them and us boys managed to swing ourselves two rooms just for the 5 of us. Check instagram for some pics of the beach and boat ride we went on.

As far as my experience with the culture and climate goes.. I found myself getting pretty tired most of last week - probably partly due to the hot climate, but mostly due to the lack of meat in my diet! It's not been hard to be a vegetarian because it's just not worth the risk of getting ill, but it's been tough to remain energetic. My meals are full of carbs... rice for breakfast, rice and potato for lunch, dosa (a pancake type thing) or chipati (another pancake type thing) for dinner... with some vegetables or sauce thrown in... this is great for all the walking I'm doing but not so good for keeping me awake.

I've not had too much of a 'deli belly' thankfully - I think I've adapted quite well (thanks to my Indian grandma for training me with her food during the few weeks before I came out) - but it seems a volunteer can't escape the compulsory cold everyone catches in the first couple of weeks. No doubt due to the cold showers each morning and the fan we have to keep on during the night so as not to drown in our own sweat... The few (and a few more) beers at the weekends probably don't help the situation either.

Other than that, everything is going well and we're always busy. It's a lot more sociable than I thought it would be when I left home. I was expecting to be going exploring by myself and being so bored most evenings, but as it happens I spend 5 days of the week with the other volunteers so it's a lot of fun. Projects Abroad really do know how to look after us well!

x

---

Photos

My room!
Some how the bloody mosquitoes still find a way in!

Building a goat shed for an orphanage!

School
Some of the kids at my school

1st Trip
Just approaching the beach in Ramishwaran

1st Social Event
The top of Jain Hill (a spiritual hill)