Before I Go

Even though I leave the school tomorrow, my involvement with Vidya Vanam is far from over. In fact, I am even planning a "quick" trip back in July to do some more English classes with the teachers and help set up our new Learning Center (hopefully the stock market will be as excited as I am!). I probably will not be keeping a blog after this, so before I go, here is all the information I want out there.

Vidya Vanam website: vidyavanam.org (click on the 'Happenings' tab for our blog)
Location: Anaikatti Village (30kms NW of Coimbatore), Tamil Nadu, South India

Vidya Vanam is a non-profit, elementary school whose students are from tribal villages and illiterate families. School fees paid by the families total less than $10, and the rest of the costs are covered by donors. If anything, tell other people about the school using this information (and remember it when you see me in case of a pop quiz). Our next ventures include new math and science labs, an outdoor theater, hiring additional full-time English teachers, more classroom buildings and eventually, the resurrection of a middle school. We are not thinking small here people, but big, Big, BIG!

My Favorite (Twenty) Five Pictures

I agree that 25 favorites is too many to have, but I could not get it down any smaller (yeah right). These 25 pictures are my absolute favorites of my last three months in India (not including the other 75 I have already posted, which are also my favorites).

These kids are so good looking they made the brochure, the website, and my blog - twice.

Yes I know I should be a professional photographer.

Not so much the greatness of India as the greatness of Mel in his safari hat - ON a safari.

Dinesh - (Pretending to be) less than thrilled about having his picture taken.

I love Tata.

The biggest sweetheart in all of India.

A typical Indian family - small, dull and drab.

We love Sports Day. And practicing our overhand serve.

Matching sisters.

My school in the mountains.

Spotted owls. Again with the professionalism, I know. My next stint is with National Geographic.

Animals (er...students) in the classroom.

Serving crayons (Ramkumar's first and only picture without 62 teeth showing).

The Afternoon Fanclub.

Nap time.

Monsoon season.

Twins working hard.

1, 2, 3...Math class.

Sunset at Vidya Vanam.

Sports Day was so popular, I extended it to Sports Week. Too bad Parts of the Body Week did not share that same fate.

Living in a house made out of wheat could help increase your fiber intake.

Prasanth (left) who only answers to "Lion" thanks to my brilliant scheme, and his baby brother Nisanth (a very serious three year old).

Teacher trip to Silent Valley National Park.

Six year old Sabarish and his very tiny grandmother.

Relay races.

Five Things I Will Miss About India

1) The life.
Everyday, I get to read two newspapers, exercise, drink my morning coffee peacefully (and slowly), read a book, take great pictures, play with cute cute cute kids, brag about the school, email my friends, eat amazing food - should I stop? Are you hating your cubicle yet? Not as much I am hating the thought of the law library. I do have to return to my American life, but my life here in India has been incredible. With so much time to do all the things that everyone wishes they could do more of, you can see why I will miss the life here. At least I know where my next vacation should be to - and it's much cheaper than the Caribbean!

2) Rainbows.
And magic unicorns. Just kidding, but seriously...rainbows. Every time it rains here a huge rainbow comes out across the sky. It goes in a full arc, all the way to the ground on either side. I have seen about 10 in three months and they really are beautiful. I may sound a little bit fruity on this one, but I actually will miss the rainbows. *Note: any of you who may be envisioning me dressed as a leprechaun dancing around the rainbow, stop. I know who you are.

3) Walking.
Now I sound like a fruity hippie. Next I'll say my daily yoga sessions. I really do love walking here, especially now that the villagers are used to me and don't screech and jump up and down when I come through. I love the cute pregnant lady who gives me the results of her check ups; the crowd of teenagers who invite me to play cricket (and I do. I'll tell you this much for free: I am a sharp batsman.); the spectacular sunsets I see in the mountains; the goat/cow/donkey/buffalo herders who still look at me in total disbelief but always clear a path through their livestock so I can walk by; the cute kids who wave goodbye until I am out of sight (we wave for about 2 miles, everyday). I will miss running into Tata on the road when he walks home from school: it is so fun to pretend like I know what he is talking about. Walking here is so beautiful, and social, and I love it.

4) Inspiration.
Good lord, I am the fruity hippie at spiritual enlightening camp. And not that I don't find inspiration at home. But for those of you who don't know me well, here's a little secret: I am a terrible writer. I can talk an Arab into buying a bucket of sand, but forever and always, I am not a good writer. That has changed a little bit since I've been here, because now there are things/people/places that I want to write about, in such a way that shows everyone what I'm seeing. Just being in India has been enough of an inspiration, and it has helped to be in the middle of an amazing program full of inspiring teachers, students, experiences and moments. I could write a page a day about my kids, who amaze me so much in how alike they are to every six and seven year old in the world. Same with the teachers, who truly are the most hardworking people in their family, always overtaxed by their own burdens yet so cheerful and good to their students. My inspiration has come from wanting to share their personalities and stories with everyone. I have been so lucky to see this country from a semi-tourist perspective, and I ultimately have been afforded two views; views of poverty, politics, human rights, moral policing, etc., which have also inspired me. A great way to find out I actually can write. But let's not kid ourselves, I will still get a C- on my next Post-WWII Reconstruction Term Paper.

5) The kids.
How much will I miss being called Zebrakka? (I think they might really believe my name has been changed.) How much will I miss being given a small flower brought from home by an even smaller boy? How many mornings will I miss sitting on my front porch drinking coffee with 18 little friends to talk to? Shaking hands with each child before they board the bus? Getting my hair braided during break time? Having the "responsibility talk" with the older kids? More than words can say.

**Sorry if you are a fruity hippie who goes to spiritual enlightening camp. No deliberate offense.

Five American Things...

...I can't wait to eat, see, do, buy, drink, whatever.

1) J.Crew.
I know, I KNOW. How can I possibly include anything so preppy and cliche in this blog. But I really miss it. Just one day in my seersucker blazer and I'll feel better.

2) Jack Daniels.
I don't need much (no, really. I have hardly had any alcohol in India so don't give me much). Just take me to a bar, put on a few Strait songs and order me a short whiskey (sadly, or predictably, in a recent conversation with my friend Allen, the first thing he asked was if I missed whiskey).

3) Country music!
Stop rolling your eyes. I know I drive most of you nuts with my music, but a few strums on the guitar is all I'm asking for. A little Ramblin Man or Rocky Top will do just fine.

4) Phone calls.
or maybe I should say talking. In India, I speak what I call "Indo-English", and not very fast. This Indo-English deal comes with a certain accent, and let me tell you it could not be further from my usual southern one. I am rolling r's and softening a's all over the place, it is brutal. I can't believe I actually miss my accent. Anyway, what I really miss is being able to call all of you on the phone! (prepare yourselves for some really southern phone calls.)

5) The Vegas.
Nashvegas, that is. And all the people in it. Well, really everyone I know in the south. I guess you yankees aren't bad either, so you too. And all my college friends on the West Coast. I am just ready to be back with my crowd!

Did I just list the five main things in my life? I think so. I know it sounds like I have been gone a year instead of just a few months. I have loved it here, but being on the other side of the globe feels SO far. Nothing like being able to hop a Southwest flight at any given moment to see who you need to see - "Y'all sit back, relax and enjoy your flight to Nashville!" Yeah, miss that.

Five Food Items I Am Not Ready to Go Without

1) Salted banana chips.
Just like it says, these are fried banana slices coated in salt. And they are addictive. A South India tradition, there are "Hot Chips" stalls all over Coimbatore, and bags upon bags of them in the grocery stores. My favorite brand is "Grandmother's Chips", and my Coimbatore driver always take me to get a sackful when we are out and about. The combination of sweet and salt is an award winner for me. I will be bringing home a bag for sure.

2) Mangoes.
Not just any mangoes, I am talking about Indian "Magic Mangoes". At least that is what I call them because their taste is so magical. I have heard about people going on those crazy apples only diets, and I think it sounds awful, but I could definitely survive it with mangoes. I eat about four a day, so I could probably double that figure and be able to stay alive. Hmmm... Anyway the mangoes here are the best. I will also be bringing these to the US - right after I get out of Fruit & Vegetable Jail at JFK Customs.

3) Bonda balls.
You can eat them, throw them, juggle them - bonda balls are awesome. They are a mixture of mashed potatoes, spices, butter and oil, shaped like balls and deep fried in yummy batter. The kids get these for afternoon snack a lot - and they know to hide them when I sneak in the room during snack time, because I have no qualms about stealing them right out of their little hands. That is not true, but they do love hiding behind the desks while I pretend to snatch them away. Everyone loves bonda balls. KM is sending me with a "plane snack" and I have asked for five in my lunch sack.

4) Lime rice.
From my food experiences here, I have learned that the weirdest sounding combinations often make for the best taste. So now that I have a new perception of what sounds normal, I can't say for sure if things like lime rice will raise any eyebrows (I know that cabbage mixed with yogurt sounds crazy and disgusting, even though I eat it all the time here). I love the lime rice that KM makes - just rice, lime, salt, butter and spices. It is a great lunch.

5) Paneer butter masala.
How to begin to describe the most savory flavor on earth? I can't. I have no idea what is in it and KM doesn't seem to know either. It has a flavor that keeps on giving - bite after bite is full of surprises and it is always fantastic. My advice to all of you is to order it next time you visit an Indian restaurant. If the waiter tells you they don't have it, tell him to stop hoarding India secrets and make it for you - it is not fair that this recipe has not made it into every Eastern restaurant in the world.

**Side note: I have eaten in some pretty fancy restaurants and hotels in the last few months, as well as at weddings and other functions in various places. Without a doubt, the cook at Vidya Vanam (KM) beats all of them hands down. It is official: he makes the best food in India, and he makes me whatever I ask for! :)

Thank You

I am leaving India in a week or so, and feeling very lucky to have had such a happy experience, I wanted to publicly thank all the people who made it happen for me (because I know they'll be reading this and I want a second invitation!).

First to Ram, my dad's great friend in Nashville who works at Vanderbilt and is totally responsible for getting me here. When I called him last August with my idea, he had not seen me in four years or ever really known me other than through my father. With little preparation he took a big chance on me, dropping me right in the middle of his school, and I think he actually had serious doubts when he left me here in January. Thanks for keeping the faith, Ram, and for introducing me to your amazing venture. I am so lucky.

To Rajan and Hema, Ram's brother and sister in law who live in Madras and have treated me like a daughter since I arrived at their apartment at 3am on January 7th. They have opened their guest room to me many weekends, shared their driver and provided me with a cell phone (a must for all my travels). More importantly, they allowed me to raid their kitchen for banana chips and Sri Krishna sweets, sit in my pyjamas until 10am on Saturdays, rant about bad journalism in The Hindu, and watch crap American movies on their satellite (and Rajan still claims I am adorable).

To the rest of Ram's family (I know this is starting to sound like an Oscar speech, but think of it as a bypass for all the monogrammed thank you notes I would send), his wife Susan, his sister Vasantha, her husband KV and their children Vasuda and Narayan , Vidya and Mani (my devoted blog follower), his nephews and their wives, Krishna and Sangeetha (thank you ahead of time for this weekend!), Srikanth and Kitty, all all all their children, and their many cousins spread out all over India, thank you for being so nice to me every time we crossed paths and for treating me like one of your own. Each one of these folks had some job in helping me get to or around India when I traveled, and it made everything so much easier.

Of course my big thank you goes to Pati. Without much of a to do, she welcomed me here, gave me the freedom to find my own routine and rhythm as a teacher, and encouraged me every single day. She helped me arrange my trips, hovered over me when I got sick, gave me ideas to make my lessons fun and different, picked up my slack when I needed the afternoon off, made me coffee every single morning (and iced coffee during the heat waves), took me to all her events and receptions, and most importantly, gabbed for hours with me everyday about everything under the sun. We have definitely fulfilled our conversation quota for the year. Her invaluable advice and friendship has made all the difference on my time here.

I want to acknowledge the Vidya Vanam children, even though they will never read this. I really grew to love my students here for so many reasons, which I have recounted for you over and over on this blog. Without knowing them at all, it took me about two weeks to totally love every one. When I arrived back from Delhi after being gone for a week, they all came up to say Hi Akka and get a hug, then immediately returned to driving the imaginary bus or playing cricket. It was a great feeling to be treated like a normal part of their school life. Their growth over just three months has been amazing, and they have so much in their future.

With Hema, Ram, Rajan and Pati in their Chennai apartment.

With Krishna and Sangeetha's daughters, Anantha and Arya. When my dad visited, they spent an entire afternoon calling him 'Mama', which means uncle in Tamil. "Mel Mama" was very confused :)

A cute pic of me and Vidya, who admitted to wanting to take me shopping because she felt as if she was with her own daughters back in the US.

With Pati.

Faces

The Zoo

In the interest of making participation in morning roll call a bit more compelling (and quiet), it seemed like a cute idea to give the kids animal names. The whole class sat around the other day deciding who is Monkey, who is Cheetah, etc. The idea definitely worked - they are SILENT while waiting for their animal name to be called. I don't know why I thought I would escape without a name - I didn't; instead of "Katrinaakka" (Sister Katherine), I am now "Zebraakka". The new animal names were the talk of the town for a couple of days and I was feeling very pleased with how dedicated they were to being called on in class. Very pleased until today, when I realized I had invited the zoo into my classroom. Now, with King Kong and Monkey literally swinging from the fan, Leopard pretending to eat Deer, Parrot screeching away from the window, Antelope hiding under her desk to avoid being attacked by Lion, I have undermined my original goal of decreasing the noise level. Now my classroom is just a zoo. Maybe I should invite my cockroach roommate.

Worse than a Scorpion

This is mostly a follow up from my earlier post about my scorpion visitor. Call me crazy (or as my sweet brother put it, insane), but the scorpion did not so much faze as it did intrigue me. Anyway, I haven't seen it since. Well, tonight I am alone on campus, as Pati has gone to Madras for an errand. Just me and the security guard - who let me tell you has just earned his weekly pay, thanks to the visitor I just had in my living room.

The visitor was none other than my greatest fear and nemesis, a cockroach. I literally woke up the entire town yelling for him to come get this GIANT thing out from under my coffee table (which I stood on top of hopping around while he swept the dadgum thing out). Rangaraj does not speak much English, but I understood him well enough when he said I scared the life out of him hollering like something terrible was happening, and all over some silly cockroach! (his words, not mine.) There was nothing silly about this beast - I swear up and down it was three inches long, and fat as a bull. And don't you even try to tell me they are harmless, more scared of me than I am of them, blah blah. I will adopt a scorpion before I accept a cockroach as "a part of life". Now, if anything, my progression towards a more brave-ish mindset about bugs has completely vanished. Sweet heaven help me as I try to sleep tonight.

My Favorite Five Students

I know I am not supposed to have favorites, and of course I love all the kids here. You can't even really call these my favorite five, since tomorrow I will love another five kids just as much. Alternative title: Tuesday's Top Five. (look for Wednesday's Wonderful Five next week).

1) Viji is not one of my students because she is too young, but we became pals when I was still fashionable (ie before the playground). She loves when I wear sunglasses because she can see herself in the reflection of my giant aviators. This child would spend hours on my lap making faces into my sunglasses if I left her there. She comes running at top speed from the other end of campus when she see I am wearing them. She is so cute and has a special brightness in her face. I will really miss spending time with her.


2) How Ramkumar is not exhausted from grinning all the time, I do not know. Literally this kid never wipes this gigantic smile off his face, straining his cheeks and making food consumption a difficult task. I often wonder what he could be smiling so much about. If I ask him a question in class, first he grins for ten minutes then starts thinking about the answer. Sitting at lunch in the staff room, I catch him walking by giving a sideways glance to see if any of us notice him. We call out his name just to see the grin. I nicknamed him "Smiles" and he loves it.


3) Aswin reminds me so much of my little cousin Emmett. Pati tells me that last year, Aswin never said a word, did not smile and barely made friends with the students. He had witnessed the death of his father and it had a really bad impact. You would never know it now. This year, he gets a thrill even out of having his name called during morning roll - he shoots up out of his chair, "Present akka!". What makes him like Emmett is that usually he is pretty quiet, and then every couple of days shocks me by chatting my ear off about all of everything. I love watching him around the big boys - you can tell he gets such a boost being included in their games and inventions. And he is darn cute.


4) I call this crowd "The Fraternity" - they can always be found together, usually making trouble. They walk into my class and shove all six of their bodies into a desk made for two, and then avoid eye contact with me hoping I won't move them. Sabarish regularly tries to convince me he is nine years old, when I know he is only six. Sanjai is never quite sure what's happening, but always follows the pack (see "Five Short Stories") - he often ends up on the bottom of the wrestling pile not knowing how he got there and a bit flustered. Dineshkumar is one of my smartest kids, but he is so busy flirting with the giggly girls in class, it takes him 45 minutes to write his own name.

5) The famous lovebirds, Salmitra and Manikandan, posing for their 1st anniversary photo op. In my mind, they count as one student. Last week she was absent for three days, but every once in a while we could hear him talk about her; she is never far from his thoughts. They still are too wrapped up in each other to even notice I exist, and I doubt they'll miss me when I'm gone. I love them anyway, because the manner in which the treat each and look out for each other is so adorable. A great little pair.

From the Bench

Sitting on the bench outside of my little house, I hear all the action going on in the school. Reports come in around the clock about which big kid is being too rough on the little kids, who is dumping sand on someone's head, who is not sharing those darned hula hoops, how many birds they can count in the sky, and so on. The departure from updates in Tamil to updates in English has been remarkable over two months - the change has been drastic. They all talk at once, barely noticing that I am not responding, only listening and inwardly smiling at these stories. I imagine it in my head as a little ticker tape that goes across the front porch - The Vidya Vanam Report.

Today's report came from a group of four year olds, sitting on the bench (and on me) telling me about the weather ("So many clouds today!"), about the new playground ("I like the swing first, then the merry go round"), more birds in the sky ("I see so many birds - I think there are 80!"), the never ending pursuit of the "Quiet Sticker" ("I am not talking at all in class so I get a puppy sticker on Friday") and the new cell phone tower on the horizon ("Akka are they making a spaceship?"). The other teachers have to drag me away from the bench in the afternoon to teach their English class. The Vidya Vanam Report is my favorite news source.

Tata's Big Promotion

The gardens at Vidya Vanam are growing like weeds (ha - a little blog humor) so Pati decided that Tata should hire some extra gardeners to help him with his work. His first two trial recruits did not work out - one had a bad attitude and the other stole a garden hoe. It was a great sight to watch skinny little Tata literally shout them off the property. He told Pati that he refused to hire anyone who wasn't going to work as hard as he. Last week, he brought in two guys who seem to be doing very well. I notice that they definitely work as hard as he does and they seem very happy around the kids. I do hear him throwing his weight around concerning gardening matters - Tata would be quite scary in a position of major power.

With two landscaping assistants working under him, I felt it was only fair that he receive a promotion. So I lobbied the powers that be for him to move up and he was rewarded with a brand new title, Director of Landscaping. He even took three days off this weekend to be at home with his family - and on Sunday I picked up the slack and did the watering. I am pretty sure I over-watered a few of his trees and under-watered his rose bed, so I am hoping it doesn't get back to him that I was in charge for the day!

Assistant Landscaping Team

Tata (left) overseeing his crew.

The introduction of color into Tata's wardrobe

New Playground = The Messiah

I thought they loved me - the new, fun English teacher who gave them crayons and taught them new songs. But in a matter of minutes, my novelty disappeared - now you can think of me as an old shoe. No one wants to hold my hand, or play slap games or sing songs. I have been replaced. You would really think the Messiah had come, with the worshipping, thanks and praise that has been rampant on campus.

Of course, the Messiah has come only in the form of a playground, but to no less fanfare and amazement. Our five new structures sit in the foreground of the school, once only a dirt pit. Surrounded by Tata's flower beds and sprouting trees, it is absolutely the perfect setting for a playground and the colors go perfectly with the surroundings. The kids are ecstatic (so is my throat, still recovering from weeks of engine noises) and the new equipment has been discussed at length in the classrooms. The names of the structures have become very important - that is no regular ladder, it is a rainbow ladder.

I am no longer cool or fun. Just the referee at the merry go round.

Playground installation viewing gallery

The coveted rainbow ladder

Merry go round + hula hoops = BLISS

94 students + 2 swings = Major negotiation

[Quick shout out to my minister in New Orleans who will be reading this: please forgive the comparison :) ]