Coincidently, two schools are across the avenue from my Guest House. So, on a “busman’s holiday,” I decided to visit at least one of them. I lacked the pull the Rajesh, Poonam, Sophia, and Mumta had in getting us into schools, so I had to talk my way past several guards and aides. But I finally met the principal. I had tea. Waited. Then I attended a large student meeting about child protection. This school collaborates with an agency to
Read moreWritten at the Vijay Guest House, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India I’m near the Pakistani border in the city of Bikaner on Thursday afternoon 18 July 2019. I left New Delhi a little after 7:00 this morning. It was hot and steamy. Gerald and I had breakfast together, and surprisingly, I ate very little. I was nervous. I sweated through my shirts just getting to the train then I couldn’t find where I was supposed to be. A Good Samaritan helped me
Read moreWednesday 17 July 2019 might have been an ordinary day in most of the world but for the Fulbright cohort it marked a day of separation, laughter, singing, and a change in the life we’ve known for the three weeks of our field experience. The local Fulbright alumni, who had helped us navigate the language and customs of India after planning all the elements, would return to their homes and their lives without a group of Americans who had occupied
Read moreThe world was still dark and (mostly) silent as our group left the Jaycee Palace Hotel in Agra and boarded electric carts for the Taj Mahal. Even at 0500, however, the pathways teemed with tourists, all walking past shuttered shops that sold souvenirs and food during the day. We were here to see the Taj Mahal in the first light of day. Lonely Planet India (Travel Guide, 2017) quotes poet Rabindranath Tagore as saying the Taj Mahal is “‘a teardrop
Read moreOur 12-member cohort reassembled Sunday night over dinner and shared some of our experiences. Each group seems to have seen India with different eyes. Gerald and I received some good-natured kidding about the beauty of our assigned location and the trips we took into the countryside. In retrospect, we were lucky to have such a supportive host teacher in Rathnakaran and to become part of such a vibrant school environment. We also saw many students outside of JNV-Mahe in our
Read moreSaturday 13 July 2019 marked the last full day of our visit to Mahe. The assembly began the day. I taught one more English class as Gerald and Rathnakaran planned some Desmos-related math activities. And I had my ride on a Royal Enfield motorcycle. I was, as Gerald said, “in my happy place.” We traveled along the coast and visited the Muzhappilangad Beach on the Arabian Sea. We toured the Kannur St. Angelo Fort, constructed by the Portuguese as a
Read moreAt my request, Rathnakaran allowed us to attend another school assembly. These powerful events happen every day, including Saturday, because classes happen every day. Because the school is multi-lingual, two assemblies use Hindi, two Malayalam, and and two are in the English language. Rathnakaran pulled some wires and made Saturday’s event in English, although it was not scheduled that way. Students lead the assembly. Some set up. Another group plays drums (loudly). Other groups consist of the audio crew, a
Read morePart of the India experience involves transportation, and for me that means seeing lots of motorcycles. Crowded roads and a cacophony of horns merges with a non-aggressive driver sensibility and a constant thought that an accident might happen. Drivers use the left lane, which takes some time to get used to, especially as a passenger. And drivers pass other drivers frequently, even on curves. It’s a great balletic dance. One of the most popular motorcycles in India is a classic
Read moreThursday found our group touring the Western Ghat Mountains, elevation about 3500 feet and reminiscent of Vermont’s mountains. We stayed at Wyanad Gate and received a warm welcome from the sari-clad hostesses. All around us were tea plantations and mist-shrouded peaks. When I asked our guide if we could climb one of the mountains, he told me we’d have to start early, around 6:00 a.m. in order to finish the 12-hour hike in one day. Both sides of the road
Read moreWe traveled inland to the western Ghat mountains on Wednesday. The country at these upper elevations (about 2500 meters) resembles Stowe, Vermont, with tall peaks, misty vistas, and green green green all around. The monkeys, nationalist demonstrations, and tuk-tuks (auto-rickshaws) are unique to India and many parts of Asia. The auto-rickshaws provide cheap and accessible transportation. Most in India run on compressed gas to minimize pollution. Visiting the Vidyalaya in Wyanad We visited the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Wyanad, a
Read more