It might be baby steps, but slowly I am venturing further and further afield. In the first few days on my own, even the walk down to the nearest shop was nerve-racking, and the busy bus stand just scared me. Now I will quite happily nip down to the post office or in to the bus stand to buy my favourite fudge without a second glance, and it's nice to know that slowly people are getting used to me!
Over the last few school days I have braved the crazy crammed full school buses which speed off to the different villages around Tangutur. Even getting on the bus was a challenge. The children were so excited to see me on the bus, they all screamed for me to sit next to them. And then I foolishly got my camera out. Everybody wanted individual photos. Individual photos with the Indian-no-smiling-photo-pose-face. So frustrating when all I really wanted were a couple of natural shots to show you all back home! But still, I definitely enjoyed my bus rides and got a completely different perspective of life around me. In comparison to Tangutur itself, the surrounding area is extremely rural, with many of the children being dropped off at the end of long tracks across fields or through almost jungle like areas. From a different bus, I saw the prawn farms which surround many of the villages as well as lots of different tiny temples. It was lovely to spend some more time with the children and get to know them a bit better - the buses are particularly good for finding out which children are related!
Another bus which I braved alone, was the public bus home from Ongole. On Sunday morning, I had crammed into a van with twelve other people, including Ramana, and headed for the UCLI school , where two other volunteers, Kyekue and Rebecca, are working. I spent the day with them planning our holidays which are next week, as well as taking a sneak peak at their school. They are in a Christian school and so they were helping out with Sunday school when I arrived. I soon realised I was one of few people wearing a Bhindi! Their daily life is completely different to mine, each project with its own advantages - we have decided I will celebrate Christmas with them, and they can come to me for Holi!
Over the last few school days I have braved the crazy crammed full school buses which speed off to the different villages around Tangutur. Even getting on the bus was a challenge. The children were so excited to see me on the bus, they all screamed for me to sit next to them. And then I foolishly got my camera out. Everybody wanted individual photos. Individual photos with the Indian-no-smiling-photo-pose-face. So frustrating when all I really wanted were a couple of natural shots to show you all back home! But still, I definitely enjoyed my bus rides and got a completely different perspective of life around me. In comparison to Tangutur itself, the surrounding area is extremely rural, with many of the children being dropped off at the end of long tracks across fields or through almost jungle like areas. From a different bus, I saw the prawn farms which surround many of the villages as well as lots of different tiny temples. It was lovely to spend some more time with the children and get to know them a bit better - the buses are particularly good for finding out which children are related!
Another bus which I braved alone, was the public bus home from Ongole. On Sunday morning, I had crammed into a van with twelve other people, including Ramana, and headed for the UCLI school , where two other volunteers, Kyekue and Rebecca, are working. I spent the day with them planning our holidays which are next week, as well as taking a sneak peak at their school. They are in a Christian school and so they were helping out with Sunday school when I arrived. I soon realised I was one of few people wearing a Bhindi! Their daily life is completely different to mine, each project with its own advantages - we have decided I will celebrate Christmas with them, and they can come to me for Holi!
Hi I have just started reading your blog as my mum is a carer and has been looking after your grandad who told her about you, I'm 16 and am in my AS year at the moment, but I am interested in India and hope to be able to go there once I've done my A levels.Your blog is really interesting and very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteTypical Grandad, chatting on about his grandchildren! Lovely to hear that you've enjoyed reading my blog, I'm trying to keep it as real as I can. India is definitely a place worth visiting - especially at festival time! I have holidays from Sunday so it's my first chance to explore some different parts of India. If you ever have any India related questions, give me a shout - I hope by the end of the year I will be an India expert! And tell your mom that I am nowhere near as good at putting Grandad's socks on a she is!
ReplyDeleteHi Katie, first up, I truly appreciate and admire the philanthropy that you have in yourself. Well, coming to the point, I am a person who was born and brought up at the very place where you have worked, Tangutur.
ReplyDeleteI went through your blog and trust me, its very awe inspiring and yeah, thought provoking at the same time too.I just wonder what made you to take a decision like this,living your life educating kids.
Well,the point that I wanna stress here is not about the education but the way in its been done. The perspective of education in India, to be precise in our area is more marks-centric. Every one judges your intelligence on how many marks you have secured rather than how much you learn. The situation have become as such people started to think that the sole purpose of getting educated is to find some living out of that forgetting the very fact that education is to gain knowledge, develop as a person in character and carve a niche for yourself. This approach itself is destroying the basic purpose of being educated. I truly want this to change and let people know and understand the ultimate joy in learning something new and applying that in life.
I wish kids know the real way of getting educated through your teachings and I would be more than happy if they take at least one step towards that direction and find themselves in a beautiful world where being educated makes them a better person,thus creating a better world !