We woke up very early (3 AM) this morning; we are still waiting to get acclimated to this new time zone. Three of us had an hour yoga practice, and then we went to our placement. We were anxious to see how all our planning for the day would pan out. We were pleased – most of the students were engaged for most of the time (I think this is the best we can hope for when we have 40 children ages 1-5). In the middle of the lesson, someone came into our classroom with three cups of tea and three eggs sandwiches for our breakfast. So, Avi, the other CCS volunteer, Harold and I sat in the front of the room (with all the kids watching) and sat there eating. I really didn’t want the sandwich, so I nibbled a little, then switched plates with Avi when he finished his food. Ah, a growing 19 year-old will eat anything. Then, when we finished, it was back to the lesson. A while later the children had lunch then there was a break and they all went out to play. Avi was teaching the older kids tae kwon do. Our little ones joined right in. They also got me on the trampoline and I showed them my headstand.
We returned back to our flats, had lunch and a Hindi lesson. I discovered that I am too warm in a kameez with long sleeves. So we found a tailor right near our flat who shortened the sleeve and length of two tops and charged $3. At 4:15, ten of us rode the subway to an outdoor market. We were amazed at how efficient and inexpensive the subway was. Although we only went a short distance, the cost was 16 cents. The cost increases a bit for longer distances, but it is still a bargain and you don’t have to contend with traffic. The Dilli Haat Market is open-air and is full of stalls selling crafts from across the country and food from almost every Indian state. I bought two more kameezes and a pair of tights (changed to door #1). We returned home for a scrumptious dinner which included chicken tandori, paneer tandori and naan (all cooked in a tandori oven) and an apple and pomegranate in cream dessert. If it sounds like we talk about food a lot, it is because we are eating a lot. And loving every minute!
Today at our placement, we decided that we are going to shake things up. We said before that we had children ages 1 – 5, but actually some are older than five. And some are quite bright. So we are going to separate the group. Harold will take the older/more advanced students and Carol will work with the younger ones. We haven’t quite worked out the logistics but hope to have this in place by next week. Stay tuned. Before we left for the day, they rounded up everyone – kids, workers and the elderly living there for a group shot. See photo. After our placement and lunch, we headed to the National Museum, containing a good overview of Indian culture and history. On arrival at the museum, we were treated to a performance of the Dhol Kunitha group. There are many performances daily throughout the city in honor of the Games. When we returned, we ventured out to see the neighborhood. What an incredible experience – crossing a major road of about five lanes of traffic during rush hour. Harold managed to get some video with the sound effects of a million horns honking. We returned for a dinner of homemade vegetable pizza, chicken pizza, chips and cola. We are about ready to turn in.
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| The children and seniors at The Earth Saviours home and school |
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| Dhol Kunitha group |
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| Traffic at rush hour |
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