Adventures in International Education

• 

Our second day in Mahe began with a relaxing yoga session with Hakeem, the yoga instructor at Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya, and Rathnakaran, the school’s principal. It ended after 9:00 p.m. with a cultural evening of traditional Hindi and Malala dancing and drumming at the school. 

Along the way, Gerald and I ate wonderful South Indian meals, saw the area, and visited classrooms. I found that Indian students love pencils and almost created a riot in the schoolyard when I started handing them out.

We joined the Regional Administrator Aman Sharma, parents, and other members of the Advisory Committee to discuss operations of the vidyalaya (school). The group welcomed us as visiting Fulbright participants and we spoke briefly about our work in India.

One theme that came up several times during the day was that of family. Just as children would once leave home and stay with their guru, the Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya operates as a residential facility. Children perform household chores as part of their commitment to the school. They rise early, participate in an assembly in the courtyard, then go to classes, which continue with a break for lunch 1:00 p.m. Classes continue in the afternoon, followed by sports activities and homework or time for extra help. Because teachers also stay at the school, academic help is always close by.

A connectedness marks the interactions between students in their classes and teachers. The spirit of engaging in a common cause feels part of every activity, whether in the classroom, the dining hall, or during sports activities. I felt the joy of being part of that family with every “Good morning, sir” that the students offered as I walked around the grounds and entered their classrooms. Even during the communal dance, several students held my hand and walked me through the moves I needed to make. I have never felt so connected to the life of an organization.

At tea time, Gerald and I received a fresh coconut with a straw inserted into the top. Cut from trees on the school grounds, coconut has healing properties and the juice unlike anything purchased in the stores. Plus, after we finished the juice, we received a plate consisting of fresh coconut meat. This was truly fine dining. Even more outstanding, our luncheon consisted of traditional Malayalam foods, all served on a large banana leaf, in the tradition of Onasadhya (the Grand Feast).

We observed more classes in the afternoon and accepted Rathnakaran’s gift of matching orange kurtas (tunic) and dhotis (skirt), which we wore to the cultural celebration Monday evening.

We became the guests of honor at the celebration from the minute we arrived at the vidyalaya. The drummers assembled and beat an ear-thundering theme, bamboo sticks clattering in a powerful, teeth-rattling way. We experienced, up close and personal, the drumming and percussion that makes up the celebration of Thrissur Pooram. In that celebration, horns and elephants join with thousands to honor Lord Shiva and the unification of the temples in the area. Everything for the seven-day festival is made new.

Students handled all elements of the cultural celebration: The sound system, the lights, lighting candles, dancing, and singing. The other students sat on the floor and the honored guests—Gerald, Bill, Rathnakaran, and his wife—sat on a dais in the center of the dining hall. Two lovely young women from Class XII (seniors), dressed in cultural clothing, served as mistress of ceremonies and organized the participants. They showed a great deal of poise and maturity as they announced each activity and spoke about the guests. A decorated curtain blocked off the front of the hall, and dancers and singers emerged from behind it. After we received individual gifts of framed artwork, Gerald and I made speeches of appreciation for the work of the students and the warm welcome we received. The evening ended with all the performers—and the honored guests—dancing on stage in a frenetic display accompanied by thunderous drumming.

It was a totally exhausting and exhilarating evening. As we returned to our hotel, students cleaned the hall, ate a small meal, and retired to their dormitories.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•