Delayed!

Asia » India » Madhya Pradesh » Shivpuri
February 9th 2009

Published: February 9th 2009

Hello anyone out there!
For those of you in the U.K I hope you’ve been enjoying the winter wonderland!? It’s beyond bizarre imagining you lot all snowed in when it has warmed up nicely here now! I was writing notes for this blog up on our rooftop terrace under a perfect blue sky…(not to rub it in or anything!)

I will begin by getting my apologies out of the way! Firstly, sorry this blog has taken such a long time to appear before your eyes, the internet and computers here have been up the spout rather frequently recently. I also think that I’ve become far too settled into the Indian way of thinking - that being that the idea of urgency doesn’t often cross my mind. The knowledge that I know in my mind I will at some point get this thing done seems sufficient for my conscience! Secondly, seeing as I’ve been a bit slow about this, this entry is going to be a bit of an epic as quite a lot has been going on here, so if you’re reading this (thanks) but I’m afraid that you’re in for the long haul! I hope your attention span is better than that of most of the kids I’m teaching!

To help both you and myself get through all the events and experiences I’m about to unleash, I shall divide this into a few manageable segments.

Part One: The Trials, Tribulations and Tantrums of Teaching:
I have now been in India ONE MONTH, and teaching at Happy Days for 3 weeks. It’s gone by so so quickly without me really realizing as there is so much besides ticking off the days to occupy you here! Teaching is still a challenge and there are constant obstacles and frustrations but also breakthrough moments where it all seems worth it. Sally and I have been getting more into the swing of things as we’ve started to suss out abilities and familiarize ourselves with our classes. It’s near impossible to remember names but there are certain characters one doesn’t easily forget!
Since adopting my new role as teacher there are some things I have gotten used to. For example, despite the kid’s favourite questions being to ask my name it is completely irrelevant as I am simply always and only ever referred to as ‘Mam’. Another custom I have grown accustomed to, but not entirely tolerant of is the way in which the students ask permission for things, namely the toilet and to enter the classroom. For example, if they want to go to the toilet they’ll come up to you, put out their hand palm down and ask, “Mam, may I go to the toilet”. I’m yet to decipher what the deal with the hand gesture is, and the first time this occurred was in one of our classes of little people. I couldn’t understand what he was saying and having a hand thrust at me, my instinct was to shake it (as many of the older kids like to greet you and shake your hand). However I’m sure this left the little one truly confused!
Expecting the unexpected and trying to go with the ever-changing flow of things is also something I have learnt to deal with, although I must say it’s not easy! The mornings here can often be rather unpredictable. On one occasion we arrived at our lesson and were informed that the kids were supposed to be having an exam. This was then moved to the next period as the buses were running late (of course) and then finally it was shifted again to third period for reasons best be known to ourselves! Our lesson plans swiftly flew out the window and our improvisation skills were called into action as we ran impromptu revision classes!
Another incident which I’m sure is a perfect example of how information always seems to reach us last, or maybe it’s just that information doesn’t really exist in the first place…I’m not sure?! Anyway, Sally and I arrived in school to find it eerily quiet with neither our class nor the rest of the school to be found. We wondered over to the playground where we could see that a small marquee had been erected by the sports ground. On further investigation we discovered that the cricket tournament had begun, and course everything must stop for cricket!

We have become quite used to our schedule not always going to plan or rather frequently disappearing altogether. One day after being bumped out of our first lesson, we were then invited to go on a trip round Shivpuri with the Kindergarten kids. This consisted of visiting the train station and off loading three bus loads of 4-5-6 yr olds and taking them onto the platform to wait for a train that didn’t seem to be appearing! After waiting for around 40minutes, with the kids amazing patience now waning we carted them off. Just as we were driving away the train pulled in so they all got a fleeting glance! Next stop was the Church where a few songs were sung and we were given some yummy tea and samosas! It was a nice break from teaching and gave us a chance to have a look around the town.

Our now pretty proficient improv skills were once again hauled in the other day. The school hosted a three day course at the beginning of this week on how to integrate children with disabilities into mainstream schools. Subsequently in the afternoon the teaching staff were somewhat depleted. Gita Mam (the principle) asked if we could take some of the younger kids for the afternoon. Afternoon lessons are all Hindi medium, therefore none of them really speak or understand any level of English. This presented a slightly daunting situation as we were left in charge of around 50 six to seven year olds for an hour or so! Sally scampered to find some pens and paper whilst I attempted to introduce myself which quite amusingly resulted in a crowd of children announcing that their names were Chloe! After going through some body parts and making an origami bird we managed to settle them down with pens and paper, luckily creativity has no language barriers!

Although we are settling in to many aspects of our routine there are still some things that prove a tad difficult. Something we were prepared for but is still hard to actually witness is the use of physical punishment here. One evening we were discussing the issue with Priya (the Indicorp volunteer), talking about how difficult it is to watch it happening and not let it get to you, as you are powerless to stop it. Having now had my fair share of nightmare classes I can on some level understand why some teachers occasionally loose it, as the kids can be complete terrors. But in most cases that I’ve witnessed it just seems like a spur of the moment, flip of a switch action with no real though as to whether the punishment really fits the ‘crime’. The teachers seem to have no remorse in doing it and sadly it is now what the kids have come to expect and often appears the way in which the teacher has come to achieve some level of respect/control. What I have found even more disconcerting was something I witnessed recently in one of our classes. A boy full on slapped the kid he was sitting next to round the face and it was the kind of slap where you can actually hear the impact! This beyond shocked me and the worrying thing I realised, was the fact that this boy had learned this behaviour, most likely from his teachers. Teachers are role models and it’s disconcerting to think that amongst the education they are providing these kids they are also teaching them violence.

As many of you who know me well will understand, getting up in the mornings is not really my forte! Unfortunately our respite is now over and the school is back to starting at the earlier time of 8am  Waking up here can be particularly tricky some days for a few reasons. Firstly the prospect of a day’s lesson can still intimidate me. The unknown and the pressure of wanting some success to come out of your days work can be a little daunting. Secondly Sally and I have both been dreaming constantly since being here, and although on the whole these are a source of amusement, occasionally and I suppose logically we’ve dreamt of home/friends etc. Consequently one awakes having been reminded of the place and people that are a millions of miles away from. Thankfully the blue skies and sunshine always help to brighten up one’s day!

One aspect of being a teacher that I’m still adjusting to and I’m not sure whether I’ll ever really settle into completely, is the dark side of education... Our classes on average have around 40 kids, and with two of us you would think that we’d be able to manage. On the whole we can just about keep some level of control but at other times it does feel as though both oneself and the class have descended into a state of madness! In one particular lesson where the kids more resembled demons than students, I shouted for the first time, and I mean properly screamed! I think I surprised even myself. It had the desired effect. 45 students fell silent before me. It definitely wasn’t a pleasurable experience and definitely not one my vocal chords can really cope with!

On a lighter note, teaching does have its amusing moments. When marking work it can be somewhat difficult deciphering the language/handwriting, and I reckon a lot is probably lost in translation! On one occasion a particularly imaginative kid invented a new country ‘Newsland’ (we figure New Zealand?) and another one made sure he was ‘repaired for school’ (prepared maybe?). However I think the best miscommunication has to go to an incident that occurred with another gapper Tom. (I hope you don’t mind me using your anecdote Tom!) In a conversation he had with a student, inquiring as to what this kid liked to do in his spare time the kid replied that he likes to “play on his sex phone’. Luckily this was clarified and the kid is just a musician who plays the Saxophone of course!

Part Two: General Happenings at Happy Days
Since becoming more settled in our new surroundings and our ‘routine’ we have tried to integrate ourselves into the school as much as possible. We have taken on some tutoring and hopefully will have a homework club up and running shortly. One of the most enjoyable things I have become involved in at Happy Days is helping out in the kitchen three nights a week, helping make chapattis. There are four women who are assigned the mammoth job of making 2000 chapattis a day for the hungry hostel boys! They are all such lovely characters, always ready to greet you with a warm and welcoming smile, and despite the complete language barrier, I love just being around them, letting their conversation and laughter wash over me. They are truly remarkable women, full of energy considering their schedule. They get up at around 5/6am and go and fetch water in their village. When they return home they prepare all the meals for their family for the day (they have 19 children between 4 of them!!). After seeing the kids off to school they arrive to start making the lunch time servings. After a break in the afternoon they return to make more chapattis for the evening, they don’t finish up till around 9pm. I am truly in awe.

I am constantly amazed, amused and confused by the things I encounter here. Once source of both amusement and frustration has been our Indian sim cards. When we first got them, Sally kept on receiving phone calls from complete strangers, which is apparently quite a common occurrence. Secondly, both of us have received a fair few bizarre text messages advertising anything from clothing stores to health care advice! Tom (the other gapper) often receives jokes and news updates… I think he got the better deal!

Since arriving we have grown used to the Indian animal inhabitants of Happy Days, from the roaming peacocks, the odd monkey, mangy dogs and the resident gecko in our room. When we arrived the toaster in our kitchen was broken. A couple of weeks ago one of the teachers took it away to be repaired. We got it back at it worked for maybe around a day and then gave up the go once again. A few days later we were talking to the teacher who took it to be fixed when she revealed that they had found a dead gecko in it! ERGH! Fried gecko anyone? Needless to say we’ve given up on the whole toaster thing.

We’ve recently been doing a bit of exploring around Shivpuri (our local town). Last week our principle’s son, Arjun to the lake in the National park where we went out on a boat, took us. The sun was setting and it was gorgeous… we even spotted some of the resident crocodiles! This week we visited the Chhatris, which are walk in marble structures with Mughal pavilions facing each other across an (empty) pool set in gorgeous gardens, built by the ex-ruling Scindia family.

Our Thursday evening this week is a perfect example of Indian spontaneity and miscommunication. In the early evening we were summoned by Gita to the guesthouse where we were introduced to a visiting teacher from Delhi Public School and her two children. Gita, after conducting introductions made a quick exit, but not before ‘asking’ us if the kids could watch TV in our room this evening! We were then thoroughly interrogated by the women as to our purpose at Happy Days. The poor women didn’t quite seem able to comprehend the idea that we were here completely voluntarily, that we got no material return for our time and the fact our parents were actually happy for us to leave home and be allowed such freedom, as this is pretty much unimaginable in India, especially for girls. Once questioning was over we ended up adopting the role of babysitters, sticking on Disney channel in Hindi to amuse our two guests! After a while Arjun dropped by our room and shortly after Nitu mam (another teacher) came by to tell us that a teacher had invited us to his house for a puja. Amidst all the information giving and us wondering what we’re going to do with the kids and the women who we’re supposed to be escorting to dinner later now that we have be summoned else where we somehow missed one vital fact…that being that this event wasn’t actually taking place in school! (this is an easy thing to assume as many of the teachers do live on campus). Anyway, we quickly got changed and explained to the teacher why we had to return her children and then headed over to find where this thing was going on. After failing to locate any such event we asked one of the teachers who finally explained to us the error and informed us that the car had left without us! However next thing we know another car is on its way and off we trot with a different teacher. It was a rather interesting evening. We arrived at the house where we were ushered into a back room, which happened to be a bedroom with a few kids passed out on the double bed. We sat ourselves down in the little room remaining and were quite promptly presented with a platter of food for consumption off our laps! It was of course the food was absolutely delicious, although I think we are both thankful that we have acclimatised somewhat to the spice by now. The hospitality was wonderful, (as you will find with any home you enter in India) even though we could only pick up snippets of what they were saying about us! :P We left with blessed bindis on our heads after a slightly strange but very enjoyable evening, always good to experience something new and being plonked in situations such as these no longer seem to faze us!

I experienced another site of Shivpuri this week. The doctor/hospital! Now I’d like to say it was due to something extremely interesting like a monkey or croc bite. But it was merely some skin infection bite thing I’d had on my foot for a week that was refusing to clear up despite the endless amount of anti-septic stuff I was applying. I showed it to Gita who advised me to go to the doctor the next day and arranged for a car to come and pick us up! (What service we get round here hey! Chauffeurs! 😉) Anyway I was taken to the doctor (who wasn’t there) so I believe I saw a nurse who looked at my foot, made a phone call which consisted of “Happy Days…something something blah blah…dressing…Happy Days…blah blah” from what I could work out. So then I was led into a room and had some ointment stuff put on and then she proceeded to elaborately bandage my foot as though I had suffered a severe sprain! I was extremely bemused and Sally and I had to try our best not to start laughing at the situation. I left with a bandage that was completely ridiculous and unnecessary and was serving only to cut of my circulation and prevent me from walking normally! The driver then informed us that I was to come back tomorrow for an injection (which we deciphered through our limited hindi!) Needless to say I explained to Gita that I didn’t need an injection as I had my tetanus already! Phew! Luckily it looks like it’s clearing up 

Since arriving we have kitted ourselves out in some Indian attire for teaching. We wear the salwaar Kameez to teach in which is a long dress type thing with trousers underneath. Both Sally and I have been quite surprised at how quickly it has changed our perceptions and attitude towards what we were round here. We wouldn’t dream of setting foot outside of school with any part of our legs showing and even wandering round school in cropped trousers and t-shirts we feel utterly exposed, which by any of our previous standards we were really rather conservatively dressed! It is extremely interesting how quickly ones attitude, behaviour and perceptions can be changed and how easy and desirable it is to conform.

I think we have now mastered the art of going into town now and no longer feel so overwhelmed by our surroundings. However the atmosphere if you mistakenly choose to start analysing it can be a bit intense. I’ve decided that it is very ‘Big-Brother-esque’! It’s as though you are under the constant surveillance of eager eyed on lookers. It can sometimes feel as though your every move, expression or gesture is being analysed and scruntinised by curious locals. I think will become increasingly resilient to it or just make believe that we are celebrities,(which maybe we almost are in Shivpuri) and take to wearing dark glasses and scarves over our heads!

Part three: Our Agra Adventure
On January 24th Sally and I departed for a cultural weekend away to see the grand Taj Mahal! We hopped into a rickshaw on Saturday afternoon to take us to the bus stand to get our bus to Gwalior where we would be catching our train. But this rickshaw had other plans, after a short distance it stopped and we were gestured to get out and get into another rickshaw which had pulled up alongside that was apparently going to the bus stand…fair enough save some petrol? However this rickshaw already had about 6 people in it so when we crammed in it was rather cosy! Once at the bus stand people were shouting various destinations and by shouting ours back we were guided to the ticket booth, got our tickets and were ushered onto the bus. So far so good. Unfortunately this was where the smooth journey started to get a little bumpy, and not just because of the roads! It took us around half an hour just to leave Shivpuri and the bus went round the town picking up more and more people to sufficiently pack out the bus. So it was about 1:30 by the time we really got going, and with our train leaving at 3:45 we both knew that we were cutting it a bit fine! (the journey takes around 2-2.5hrs) I somehow reassured myself with the knowledge that it was all out of our hands and all we could do was sit back, stay calm and go with it, quietly hoping that either we’d make good time or our train would be running according to Indian time - that being late! An hour or so in and the bus takes a toilet stop! By this point it’s 3 o’clock and Sally and I are finding it increasingly difficult to sit back and with the flow, especially when the flow is moving so slowly, or at present at a stand still! After we set off again we both realized that the possibility of us catching our train was slipping quickly away, along with our calm and collected mindset. We arrived at the bus station at 3:50 (5mins after our train was supposed to have left). Part of my mind was now freaking out - ‘f**k, s**t, we’ve missed it, f**k it!’…I think it sounded something along those lines! Another part of mind however, I believe the part tuned into Indian mentality was rationalising - you’ll be fine, remember it’s India! The train being on time?! What dream world are you living in? So with a whole host of crazy emotions and adrenaline running through me we made it to the station around 20minutes after our train was supposed to have left after having made a rickshaw drivers day by paying a ridiculous amount for a very short journey as we were in no state to haggle! We located our platform (not printed on the ticket) and desperately started asking people whether our train had already left or was yet to arrive. Thankfully we were eventually informed that it was the latter, our train was delayed by an hour. PHEW! We were so relieved, we sat down and laughed at that little adventure and calmed our hearts with some much needed chai. Unfortunately, the fascinating people that we are, we weren’t left in peace for long! The man who had informed us about our train came up and started asking us various questions. His interest drew a crowd and before long we were surrounded by an attentive audience. As time ticked by we’d intermittently check the electronic schedule for info on our train. To our dismay this became more and more of a torturous task as our train kept on being further and further delayed each time we looked. Our train was delayed 3 and a half hours and as dusk slid into night our patience levels were truly depleted and tiredness and hunger had taken hold. We finally boarded the train were on the move by 7:30, extremely relieved to be finally going somewhere. The train journey like the rest of our trip so far didn’t go smoothly. We ended up waiting at various stations along the way for an average of 20minutes which meant we didn’t’ actually arrive in Agra until 10:45. When we finally arrived at the hotel we were truly whacked and jumped into bed to try and make the most of the little sleep we were going to get to awake for a sunrise viewing of the Taj!
All the stress and little sleep were all worth it when we got to wonder amongst the mystical Taj grounds watching the sun blaze its way into the sky. It was still relatively quiet at that time and the Taj is completely enchanting and had a much needed calming effect. Our next stop after a scrummy breakfast was the Red Fort. It was incredible and our guide was very helpful in filling us in on all the intricate stories and history behind it. Afterwards we roamed the bustling bazaars and had a long chilled out lunch on a rooftop restaurant with a Taj view. Around the Taj you are constantly bombarded by people and children trying to sell you all sorts of Taj paraphernalia. I would have to say the most admirable attempts are the ones who say something along the lines of, “Mam, a post card? You are so beautiful, will you marry me?!” So although slightly irritating, at least some are a source of amusement.
Our return journey was a lot smoother, apart from some hellish haggling for a rickshaw to the station. Our train was only 1.5hours delayed…not bad by Indian standards and we didn’t have to wait at all for a bus. The bus journey isn’t the most comfortable of experiences however. It is at these times that I am thankful for my petite frame! Leg room is barely existent and after a while, no matter how much or often you shifted, by the time we disembarked I was unsure whether I still had an arse at all, so severe was the numbness of my bum!

Part Four: Accumulated Thoughts on India
Since arriving in India I have had many interesting experiences and I think I’m finally starting to feel more at home here. I’m no longer so overwhelmed by the seemingly crazy, disorganised way of life here as I’ve realised everything and everyone is actually pretty calm and laid back, it just seems chaotic to an outsider who hasn’t lived and absorbed the Indian way of doing things, and living the Indian life yet. Something I have experienced a lot of is Indian hospitality. I have been invited to and welcomed into many peoples’ homes and lavished with all sorts of delicious Indian sweets and drank my fair share of sweet chai and I don’t think I will ever tire of it. Hospitality here is limitless and I couldn’t be more grateful of it. Social interaction here seems not only a pleasure but also a necessity. It’s like India was made for a social addict like me!
I also haven’t had any trouble adjusting to eating sans cutlery! I mean why bother with silly utensils when fingers are so efficient! Everything is finger food here and my inner child is in heaven!

The more things I experience whilst here the more I am coming to view India as a country engulfed with some wonderful traditions and values, but also as a place brimming with contradictions. One of the most noticeable contradictions I am constantly witnessing is based on the idea of respect. In India there is a lot of emphasis placed on respecting one’s elders and all kids seem to have this engrained into them to some degree. However as soon as the elder becomes someone of a lower status to oneself the whole idea of respect disappears in an instant. There appears to be a real lack of mutual respect, which I think we take for granted in our daily lives. I’m not saying that this sort of discrimination doesn’t exist in our lives. I have and I’m sure many others have also at some point encountered some level of snobbery at some point. But it seems the norm here and not really frowned upon. To my (I know naïve eyes) this relates back to the visible presence or remnants of India’s Caste System. Just as socio-economic class divisions still exist and affect our society today, India’s Caste System, although no longer has any legal basis still exists and is prevalent amongst Indian communities and individuals behaviour. It still unfortunately has the power to determine things such as your social standing in the community to vocational and marriage prospects with little room for maneuver. Even if you get some sort of an education one is still likely to fall into the predetermined life plan. Having said that government initiatives have been doing a lot to break down barriers and I guess something so deep rooted will take it’s time to dissolve.
Before coming to India I had studied and read much about it. One article in particular has come back to me whilst being here. The writer spoke of India being a ‘land of contrast’, and he couldn’t be more spot on. Economically India is racing ahead at an unbelievable pace, yet many are being left behind in the race to prosperity. Wealth noticeably sits right alongside poverty and I see daily examples of this. There is a strong sense of National pride here but there are so many mixed messages when one considers the endless skin whitening adverts, and the idea (and truth in the fact) that speaking English is a golden ticket portraying some hint of a deluded idea that ‘West is best’. Priya and I have acknowledged that no one can be placed on a pedestal, we all fucked up, just in many different ways.

To wrap up for now, (“phew” they all cheer!) India is a paradox. It is chaotic and crazy but laid back and organised all at the same time. I find myself in love with the place that is fast becoming my home and hating it simultaneously. It is frustrating but amusing. It has enchanted me and disgusted me. As I am being immersed in the Indian culture, society and way of living I am constantly fascinated by the things I learn and discover but I am also continuously baffled by things my mind can’t fully comprehend as yet. However I’m loving every moment of finally being able to place my own images, perceptions and experiences to what I have read and also add my own thoughts, stories and musings on this infinitely complex country.

Much love!
xxx

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