Blogs from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia - page 5

Hi all. I've got a lot of things to write today, and plenty of time on my side to do it with! This week has had my sides splitting on multiple occasions, it's been great fun. I was very down on Friday after my 7th Standard after school class didn't turn up, but it's all picked up. The day after Me, Colin and Rose went into Kanji because Colin wanted to buy a kind of male skirt thing (I wasn't that interested - and he's since discovered that there can be difficult practicalities sitting down - and all the students and staff have had something to say about it!) Rose wanted to see the hostel again to see the kids, I think her and Kim miss them quite a lot, they were quite resentful about moving ... read more

Hey all. I'm against the clock here because I have to be back in Kanji helping the 7th standard slow learners by 4. Mid term exams started today so normal lessons are off, but I offered my help after school. I'm doing it by myself at the moment as Gemma's in hospital with a foot infection, but she should be out tommorow. The class work really hard, and it just makes how bad they do in their tests feel even worse at times. One boy called Barathon works ridiculously hard and he got 11 out of 36 in the test I set on Wednesday, and he's just an example. SO anyway, I'm rushing back soon to give them all the best chance next week, although one boy has been absent for the last 2 weeks and ... read more

Hello all. It seems like I have less to write about every time I come on here. Since last Saturday it's been a similar routine, I summed up most of my teaching in the last e-mail. I'm getting to know Rose and Kim a little better. I get with both of them well. Rose can be a little bit mad in a good way, Kim seems a bit more laid back but she's also quite fun. I went to a teacher's wedding reception earlier, or should I say I had a free lunch, siad hi to one of the teachers and then left. That's the way it goes for people around here I think. MOre distant friends come for a meal that lasts about half an hour, get to say hi then leave. It allows more ... read more

Hey everyone. To be honest not much has happened since Tuesday. Rose and Kim have returned to Kanji and they seem very fun and easy to get on with. They have created a very good card game which is very Mathematical and probability based, so I like it. I'm starting to get a little more preparation into lessons, so hopefully that'll keep going the same. Apart from that I'm almost getting into a cycle, and we're starting to help with homework more in the evenings. We hope to be back early enough to play some cricket this afternoon and we're going to a teacher's wedding reception on Tuesday which should be interesting, and that's all the news really. The funniest thing to happen since I last spoke to you was in mine + Colin's 4B spoken ... read more

I've got so much to say, I don't know where to start. On Sunday Me + Colin met up with Claire and Catherine from a nearby placement and we all went to Pondicherry together. On the way we had lunch at our placement principal's house as he invited us and we want to get on his good side. We had the tedious meeting of his family etc. and had a decent lunch, but I'm becoming very surprised by the Indian's attitude to alchohol. Every guide you read says it is frowned upon, but a week or so back Colin borker his 6 month no drinking resolution under Maria's insistence, and the principal and his family clearly had the intention of getting us under the table, as between 4 of us there were 4 600ml bottles of ... read more