It seems a bit backwards to be writing about the end before ive written about the begging i guess. But its sad to say the concrete walls and dusty playground of Mahendra Jyoti have bid me farewell for the last time. We've entered exam season now and so Magus and i have fallen redundant. Saying that typing the english papers and finding spelling mistakes, ie. ' ansewer any of the following qeeshicoms' (!?- oh my god) i wonder if its the teachers that need some lessons, or a crash course at least!
Our farewell from the kids was short and sweet if a little manic. I entered class for the lasttime brandishing the well loved star chart, a bag of sweets, przes forthe two best in clas (1 boy 1 girl) and all the stickers i possessed- which is not as many as Ed. Mummy Barrie got excited in the sticker aisle we think! So i marched in - Sari obviously on in the correct fashion, I was tweeked and redressed several times each morning by varying members of staff!- handed over the prizes. Then we played pin the post-it on the donkey. That lasted a little while, then the postits went on their heads! i then headed out to the play ground where the free for all began, Magnus had to come save my camera. The stickers went left right and centre, suddenly i see the (new)naughtiest boy in class (the old one is a reformed character) running through the playground, over the rubble, carrying my bag, book and star chart looking so pleased! he got an extra sticker. I dont know where my sticker went they just got rippedout of my hands. Then magnus and i headed up to the staff room brandishing a good bye cake - Nrs 700 well spent! I was then beckoned out of the class room and told that some of my class 4 students were asking for me. Considering they had all disappeared half an hour ago i was rather suprised. Then low and behold there was Sapana, Parbati, Nardavi and Fuisree brandishing flowers and small pieces of papers depicting gods an flowers at me. I then got lots of photos.
What i haven't explainded about my school is that it is the only school in the district to cater for those with severe learning difficulties - or as they say here mentally retarded. We have come to grow and love these children and their snotty ways. In particular 2 of them, the only boys. One of them cannot talk, he is 11 but appears to be a hunched 8 year old withthe eyes of a tired old man. He only communicates through 'uhs' and pointing. So we call him 'uh'. Its very unpolitically correct but here,those things don't exist, getting used to them again will be strange. The other is more coherant but a ittle creepy. You will turn around whilst teaching lessons and he'll just be standing in the door way, with a toothy grin and say 'hellooooo' in a manner many may relate to a deranged axe murder. We've had many funny incidences with him. you can probably guess his name.
The point f this is they interupted my good bye, by they are so funny i didnt mind! you have to love them!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
HOLI!
one word colourful. which is fitting as it is the festival of colour i guess! there doesn't seem to be any meaning behind it other than embracing spring. First of all we welcomed in to the bosom of Gorkhathe tribes from Laxmi bazaar (the regulars), Besi Sahar and Bhoti woda, who bravely took the buses here. That eveing Anna, Carmella and i set out in search of powder paint and water balloons, to arm our
selves against the forwarned onslaught. we came back with, green, yellow and green - which turned out to be vibrant pink when mixed with water. i was itching to get the production started! But alas i had to wait a night, spent chilling on our roof and listening to the prison guards screaming. when we woke up production commenced almost immediately- 2 to each colour and magnus on water filling. Then anna and i took over water, more colour on us than in the ballons. The floor was full of burst balloon carcasses! But we
did end up with a bucket of ballons and a plastic bag full too. They were our ammo. We were worried that we might be the most prepared people in the town and that holi might not actually be such a big thing! Suddenly Sarah, Caitin and Will appeared smothered in red paint and t-shirt dappled all sorts of different colours. It was on. But before we set out in to town, our first target was those who had yet to arrive at the house ie. Kirsten, amy, Fiona and pippa. Then each other of course, our washing was tinged a little yellow. 
We then set out, armed with make shift water pistols made out of water bottles filled with dye and water with a hole in the top. As soon as we were out the door the neighbouring boys came at us with handfuls of powder paint and smothered our faces. we were still relatively unscathed until we reached the junction in town, and it just continued from there. Water rained down from the roof tops, as did water balloons. Purple, red, green, yellow, pink and even gold paint was thrown around, usually on to the foreigners. there were a lot of us! i think the community had planned this! When we finally retreated back to our house, and the others dispersed on to buses in various directions we attemped to wash. I mean, we did look like oompa loompas, but the paint was stubborn old stuff. I still have pink hair, magnus has purple hair, julia is multi colour and ed, well he's ginger. Hope you like the before and after shots - My clothes were white!
selves against the forwarned onslaught. we came back with, green, yellow and green - which turned out to be vibrant pink when mixed with water. i was itching to get the production started! But alas i had to wait a night, spent chilling on our roof and listening to the prison guards screaming. when we woke up production commenced almost immediately- 2 to each colour and magnus on water filling. Then anna and i took over water, more colour on us than in the ballons. The floor was full of burst balloon carcasses! But we
did end up with a bucket of ballons and a plastic bag full too. They were our ammo. We were worried that we might be the most prepared people in the town and that holi might not actually be such a big thing! Suddenly Sarah, Caitin and Will appeared smothered in red paint and t-shirt dappled all sorts of different colours. It was on. But before we set out in to town, our first target was those who had yet to arrive at the house ie. Kirsten, amy, Fiona and pippa. Then each other of course, our washing was tinged a little yellow. 
We then set out, armed with make shift water pistols made out of water bottles filled with dye and water with a hole in the top. As soon as we were out the door the neighbouring boys came at us with handfuls of powder paint and smothered our faces. we were still relatively unscathed until we reached the junction in town, and it just continued from there. Water rained down from the roof tops, as did water balloons. Purple, red, green, yellow, pink and even gold paint was thrown around, usually on to the foreigners. there were a lot of us! i think the community had planned this! When we finally retreated back to our house, and the others dispersed on to buses in various directions we attemped to wash. I mean, we did look like oompa loompas, but the paint was stubborn old stuff. I still have pink hair, magnus has purple hair, julia is multi colour and ed, well he's ginger. Hope you like the before and after shots - My clothes were white!
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