This morning we visited the St. George Museum in Chennai. It was full of great artifacts, paintings, and my personal favorite... musky, old, museum smell. :) After the museum we wandered over to an Armenian Church, where we got to explore, take pictures, and climb the bell tower. In between the museum and the church we visited the local shopping center to get goodies for family and friends, and also had lunch... samosas with our favorite sweet/sour sauce!


After visiting the Armenian Church we all headed out to the Beach! It was packed, primarily due to the Pongal Festival. Police patrolled the beaches, ensuring that all women remained fully clothed, and that only small children could wear swimsuits. The trip to the beach was definitely an experience. I felt like we were at the circus, and WE were the main attraction. People were trying to take pictures of us, with us, and when we were tired of taking pictures there were always the people that would run ahead of us to steal a picture of the 8 American girls dressed like the native Indians spending the afternoon at the beach. It was still a wonderful trip.. the beach was beautiful and the people were as colorful as ever.

When we had all had enough of the sandy beach, we met back up with our loyal driver Albert and went to St. Thomas Cathedral in downtown Chennai. After walking through the beautiful church we were able to go beneath the church, where St. Thomas's remains are entombed. Seeing his tomb was amazing, and as I looked up from where I was standing, there was a picture of the Pope, standing directly where I was. Now Ive never been a super religious person, I tend to keep my beliefs and faith to myself, but standing at the remains of "doubting" Thomas really moved me..

Finding our Sari's

Today was primarily a shopping day. We spent the majority of the morning hunting for the perfect Sari. For those of you who aren't up to date with Indian culture, the Sari is the traditional dress that the Indian women wear. It is composed of a short top, a skirt, and a 6 yd. piece of fabric that is wrapped, tucked and transformed into a beautiful Indian dress. The boutique we went into was breathtaking. Thousands of silk panels lined the walls, it was literally a sea of stunning colors, prints, and textures.

Beautiful Day in Southern India

This morning we met Albert bright and early and headed out to visit a crocodile conservation park. I do not  think I have ever seen so many crocs in my entire life, and they were all different kinds! We even got to see a large enclosure of crocs getting fed breakfast of yummy meat/bone. MMMmmmm... After the Crocodile Park we headed to Dakshina Chitra, a non-profit, community service project of the Madras Craft Foundation for the promotion and preservation of the cultures of the diverse people of India. The center was absolutely breathtaking. We got to witness Pongal celebrations, listen to amazing music, and walk through their craft bazaar. We also got to try coconut water. We picked out a coconut, the woman hacked off a chunk at the top, popped in a straw, and off we went! It was surprisingly salty, but I really enjoyed it.

Once done exploring the Dakshina Chitra, we were off to see the Mahablipuram, also known as the shore temples. The temples were stunning beyond belief. Having recently had a tsunami, a new portion of one of the temples was exposed, leading to further excavation of more artifacts. It is so amazing to be able to set foot in temples that are thousands of years old, and so elaborately decorated! In all there were three "shore" temples that we visited. Each of them equally impressive in the intricate stone detailing done so long ago, and remaining beautiful today.

As you can see my blog entries are becoming shorter and shorter. Not because we are doing less, but because we are doing SO much, that by the end of the day I am ready to pass out....  but of course I tend to my pictures and try to update my blog as much as possible, as well as write in my graded journal for class, and then my personal journal...Im still surprised Ive gotten any sleep at all! :) I hope you all are enjoying the blog as I go through my journey in India.

St Thomas Mount, Snake Park, and Sunshine!

What a beautiful day it was today in India. We began the morning by hiking up St. Thomas Mount.. It is the highest peak in Chennai, overlooking the entire city. It is believe that St. Thomas himself was killed at the top of this Mount, where a church now stands in his place. After getting a brief, yet detailed description of the St. Thomas Church's history, we headed back down to the van, passing all the beggars as we went. Once back to the van, we were off to Snake Park... it was quite the adventure. The park was filled with wonderful reptiles that were just fine by me, as long as they kept to themselves and didn't attempt to eat me. As you can see... I made it out alive :) We were greeted by two running monkeys at the entrance, but they were smart enough to stay outside the gate!

After Snake Park, we headed back to Niketana, had a quick lunch and then headed out to some of our favorite shops for an afternoon shopping trip with our favorite driver Albert :) Albert speaks VERY limited English... and is obsessed with Hannah's tongue ring. We find it quite funny. Once done boosting the Indian economy, we walked to a nearby cafe that Vidya suggested we go for dinner. It was perfect. We had a yummy sandwich and freshly squeezed pineapple juice. So good! Excited to see what adventures tomorrow will have in store. Top of the itinerary: crocodile park.... oh goody ;)

Abacus Montessori, Express Mall, Bollywood Movie

Today was our last day visiting the Abacus Montessori School.. thank goodness it was only a two hour visit. We observed kolum drawings in honor of the Pongal Festival. (For those of you who are not familiar w/ kolum, it is a design located outside of homes or doors. The symbol changes every day and is simply created using white and colored rice flour. If the kolum is missing from outside the door, neighbors know there has been a death in the family.) After celebrating the Pongal Festival with the students, we left the school and returned to Niketana.. we had a bit of down time, had a wonderful lunch, and then headed to the Chennai Mall.. primarily for the air conditioning :) Vidya took our class to an AWESOME bangle shop, I got some new Kurtis (the Indian shirts we wear) and then we headed to the Bollywood movie at 3:50pm. After one intermission, and three hours later, we left the theatre... all singing and dancing--trying to replicate and memorize the lines and moves we learned from the movie :)

Vidya's sister Brinda and their 85 year old mother met us for dinner at a very nice restaurant. I am pretty sure the servers had to roll us out... it literally felt like the food kept coming... and coming.. and just when I thought we were done, BAM, more food.

Chennai Montessori School

It was apparent from the first glance at my classmates that today was going to be a long day. With nearly half of the class and our Professor sick with the cold, cough, and head/tummy ache, we knew it would be a battle to make it through today's school visit. We made it to the school this morning and immediately met with the principal, who gave us an overview for the day. We were to choose two classes, where we would remain for an hour each. Not only were we confined to these two classes, we were told that there would be zero interactions with the students... we could only observe. You could tell immediately that Vidya was less than thrilled with the circumstances, but she remained gracious, and we all split up and went into our classrooms. Hannah, Vidya and I all chose the primary class which taught children 2.5-6 years old. The montessori teaching technique was definitely unique. The teachers had minimal interaction with the students and only taught the children if the kids asked for assistance. During lesson time, the children were able to pick their own activities. One student was working on addition, one was sewing, one was gluing paper together, while another was shredding a carrot... all in the same room. The children had floor mats which they worked independently on. I have found, through visiting multiple schools, that India has a very collectivist education system, but the Montessori method is extremely individualistic.


Unlike children in other schools who remained engaged and focused during classes, the Montessori children were extremely fidgety, distracted, talkative, and disrespectful to both teachers and their fellow classmates. After visiting a school like TVSA and then going straight to the Montessori school I felt extremely discouraged. The children today were extremely rude and snobby. I am not looking forward to going back tomorrow, but I know there is a valuable lesson to be learned.

Final day at TVS Academy..

Today was one that I knew would be difficult. We left our hotel early and headed 5 minutes down the road to the TVSA. The kids also arrived early, knowing we would be there. Seeing as we had visited the school Saturday, many of the children knew us by name, and we were greeted by a swarm of running children who were very excited to start asking questions. I had been on the TVSA campus for about 15 minutes but still had not spotted Suchitra, the girl I had bonded with during our Saturday visit, who also is in my facebook profile picture. I keep my eyes peeled for her as I continued to answer questions from the eager students. It was then that I heard the sweetest voice calling my name. I turned around to see Suchitra running down the stone path towards me. My heart absolutely melted. Not only did I get to spend the day with Miss Suchitra, I also got to help her celebrate her 11th birthday :) I was also able to visit other classes throughout the day. We sat in on a math lab where the students were never given a math formula, they are given materials and derive the answer using hands on techniques. I was a bit skeptical of the math lab, but as soon as the class started working on the first problem I knew they completely grasped the concepts. Not only could they physically show their reasoning, they were able to verbally communicate how they solved the problem, and how it could be applied to other objects. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed.




In other classes, the students have the freedom to work either inside the classroom, or outside under the cover of each building. The set up was so peaceful. The students at TVSA were beyond respectful, not only to their teachers, but to their classmates. I sat in on a 3rd standard (grade) classroom studying Tamil, the local language. The students were not only excited to ask me questions, they also wanted to teach me to speak their language. These students love for learning has been so amazing to witness. While we knew we had a long drive ahead of us, back to Chennai, none of us wanted to leave the TVSA students or staff. They were SOOOO wonderful!!

It was on the way home that Vidya began an impromptu discussion. It was during this discussion that the emotions of what I have seen the last week really surfaced, not in tears, but in passion. It was the first time that I really had to think about how India has already changed my life, and who I am. I only wish I could have recorded the answer I gave. I have no idea where it came from, but I was the last of 8 to speak, and I just brought it home... In only a week India has taught me more about myself and the person I want to become than anything in my entire life. It has forced me to evaluate the paths I have taken in life, and has ignited an inner fire that I never knew I had. I am glowing from the inside, which may sound ridiculous, but I never knew that by being exposed and completely immersed within a rich culture like India's I would be able to learn more about myself... I came to India with the sole purpose to learn more about the people here. While I absolutely have fulfilled this original expectation, I have gained much much more. I have met people and been witness to acts that will change my life forever. While I know my life in Washington awaits my return, Im not so sure I will ever be the same. I think that no matter where I go, a small piece of India will always be with me...

Adventure in Bangalore

This morning our wonderful driver Albert drove us to Bangalore. After getting a bit lost we finally made it to Vidya's cousin's home. After spending nearly an hour there and enjoying delicious tea, we headed out into Bangalore for some shopping and sightseeing! Albert took us all to an amazing park, the bamboo trees were out of this world gorgeous, and the entire park was a luscious green. We walked by the Bangalore governmental buildings and then stopped to try some freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, SO yummy!!!

                    



It was at this point in the day where things get    interesting ... Albert was lost. So instead of picking us up and taking us to lunch, Vidya and Miles thought it would be easier to get a couple rickshaws... about fifteen minutes and three rickshaws later we were on our way to lunch in our own little motorcade :) I can't even describe the crazy driving we endured for that drive to the restaurant, all I can say is I am so glad we made it alive!

Lunch was amazing. We had Thali which is my new favorite food, and lime soda. After lunch, Albert was still lost, so we had to get back in the rickshaws. Major mistake. The head driver decided he was going to take us to the shops that he wanted us to shop at, not the street we wanted him to take us to. This was more than frustrating as we were being "kidnapped" in downtown Bangalore. We finally had to make them all pull over and drop us on the street because they would not take us to our destination. So there we all are, walking aimlessly, trying to find Albert and get home. 4 hours later, as the sun was going down we FINALLY found our Albert... never have I been so relieved.


Once back in the hotel we ordered room service, uploaded photos, and crashed. It was a long and stressful, but still amazing day. Major positive of the day: I got some WONDERFUL pictures :)

TVS Academy; Hosur India

This morning began bright an early as we set off for the TVS Academy. Although it is Saturday, here in India classes are still in session and we were eager to meet the new group of students. I was overwhelmed at the beauty and design of the school, as well as their main objectives. The TVS school is the first school in India that we have come across that integrates both Art and Music into their curriculum. For the first time, students were expressing interests and future goals in more than just the standard professions of Doctors, Engineers, and Scientists. Today I encountered students who were passionate about their education- they wanted to become Artists, Poets, Historians, Anthropologists, Roboticist, and Astronauts.. these career goals are drastically different than the previous career mentalities of the previous schools. We arrived in time to listen to the 6th graders chant traditional Indian songs, and then we interacted with students in Art, Science, and radio classes.

We were then lead to the TVS farm- a 9 acre lot where they are working on planting trees as a restoration project, over 100,000 trees to be exact. Not only were they planting trees, but they were growing food as well. We observed green houses that held cabbage, lettuce, broccoli and other vegetables. The school today  had a wonderfully green campus with flowers, trees, and herbs planted along the walkways. The principal of the school was a dedicated woman who was absolutely passionate about her school, her teachers, and her students. The students enter TVS at age 3 and stay at the academy through age 17... then %100 of graduates attend a University.


A typical day at TVS begins with 20 minutes of yoga and meditation to center the children and prepare them mentally for the day. Each class holds 40 students and has 2 teachers, keeping the student to teacher ratio small and personal. We learned that not only was the female infanticide the highest in Hosur, but the HIV rates are the highest here as well due to the truck route that goes directly through town. These issues are just a few of the many issues the children of Hosur face, and TVS academy is actively trying to educate the students to be able to put an end to these issues and others. This children are India's generation of change.

In talking with some of the students they were very interested about America. They wanted to know what the biggest differences were between the US and India. They asked about my family, our transportation, our economy and all of them wanted to know what I thought of India.

Last Day at Razena..

        This morning the US secretary General of Immigration visited Razena. It was a huge deal for the school, and they made sure to showcase their finest works, including our class. We were introduced to the Secretary General (who then later invited our class to the consulate on a later date) and then went around with him to visit several other classes that had prepared presentations for us. The Chennai photo journalist was also there and began staging shots and stopping presentations to make sure he got a good picture and I just about nearly smacked that man in the face. Does he have not ethical values when it comes to being a photographer? I know I am slightly bias here, but it really made me upset. Here these students were trying their best to present their work to us and he was directing where they stood, how their faces looked, I just wanted to take his camera and smash it.. ok, I am done venting. I needed that.

On a much lighter note, our class got to participate in welcoming the Sec. General, and when I say participate, I mean we arrived at the school yesterday and were asked to learn part of a dance routine with the girls, and part of another dance routine with the boys which we then performed on stage today. Not only did we dance, but we had to sing the national anthem. I kid you not. Needless to say we sounded like PLU sent a choir... still not sure how we pulled it off. We were also gifted with carved wooden elephants--they are absolutely beautiful. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially the girls we had gotten to know from yesterday. After many hugs and a ton of pictures later we were off to Hosur. It took us nearly 8 hours to travel 255 miles. The traffic here is unbelievably congested and the roads are often jammed, causing significant delay.

Razena Matriculation Islamic School

This morning we left the hotel around 8am. We arrived to the Razena school and were warmly greeted by their principle and eager students. After introductions and a short debriefing regarding the days activities, we were led into the courtyard to witness their morning assembly. After being welcomed we were led to the classrooms of our choice. Sara and I chose to attend the 5th grade English classroom. Unlike yesterday, each student was seated at a desk. The desks were set up so that 2 children sat at one, but none the less, they were not sitting on the floor. The 5th grade class had 39 students, and was about half the size of my high school classrooms. Of the 39 students all were female, and only 6 students were unveiled, these six students being Christians. The only air flow was from fans in the ceiling, and their windows were adorned with bars. Sara, Miles (Vidya's husband), and I were seated in the back and were able to observe their class. They opened their English books and began reading the story of Emperor Akbar and the Crows. Many of you are probably not familiar with Emperor Akbar because he is an Indian Emperor, but the lesson was entirely in English and the students responded well with the instructor. In this class, the students answer the questions in unison, and if called upon, must stand before they give their answer. The instructor explained to the children that while they speak may Tamil and Hindi, English is used for cross-culture communication, they referred to English as a "link-language."

Throughout the lesson, as the instructor read, the children followed each word with their finger, much like we would see in an American classroom. Nearly all students from Razena go on to college. Only 1/3 of the students are Non-Muslim.
After sitting through class, we headed down to watch some of our girls play basketball, yes basketball, against the Razena boys b-ball team. We took a beating, 14-4 at the end of the first half... they decided they had had enough :) We then got to watch a national Indian game, that is much like wrestling but there is running involved. It was SO fun to watch! Halfway through our visit we had a coffee break, and it was the best coffee I've ever had... sorry Starbucks. Then about seven 12th grade students came down and gave us each an amazing henna arm cuff. Reshma was the name of the girl who designed my intricate henna. She is a senior, 16 years old, has never left Chennai, and wants to become an engineer.
After the henna, we were brought upstairs to learn dance routines that we will be performing with the students tomorrow! It felt so good to be back up on stage again, and their dancing is AWESOME!
We then got to sit in on their prayer. All veiled girls in front, a noticeable divide, and then the boys in the back. Their prayer consisted of the chanting, bowing, and foreheads to the floor. It was stunning to witness, and not many Westerners are granted this private viewing.

After class we decided to stop at a local park. The park is a popular Indian hangout spot, equipped with it's very own temple, garden, and plenty of shaded areas. The sun has been out all of today and it is HOT. On top of all that, Ive officially been discovered by mosquitoes who apparently think I am the best... aka, 3 bites on my feet and one on my arm. Thank goodness for my Malaria pills :) Today's visit to the school was drastically different from yesterdays. There was order, rules, and the children were well disciplined. Unlike the children yesterday, these children do not see college as an option or a hope, but as without a doubt their future. For these kids it's not even a question, they are going to college.

First School Visit

Today we all left Niketana at 7am for our first school visit. After driving about an hour through slums and bumpy dirt roads, we finally arrived to the rural Indian village where Montessori School was located. The school currently houses and feeds 300+ students. Each student was found begging on the streets, and offered enrollment into the school. During the day the rooms serve as class rooms, during the evenings they become the bedrooms. For every ten children sleeping in a room there is one adult. It is difficult to begin to describe the emotion that overwhelmed me as we stepped off our bus and were crowded by young Indian children craving attention and lots of pictures! They thought it was the most amazing thing that my camera could capture their faces...
Before each school day begins the students hold assembly in the court yard. It is during this time that they say their group prayer and then relocate for group meditation.
A former student of Vidya's decided w/ her parents to hold a fundraiser and donate all proceeds to and Indian school of Vidya's choice. They ended up raising over $1,700 which we were able to present to the school today.

We got to sit in on classes. Sara and I chose to sit in on a 4th grade class. There is zero instruction from the teacher, and the students are allowed to choose what they learn. This education system is far from the programs I was raised in, but the children were eager to learn. My initial reaction to the school was complete despair. My first 15 minutes with the kids I nearly had to step away to fight back the tears that were welling up in my eyes as I inspected their living conditions, noticed the fleas crawling in their hair, and smelling the urine soaked clothes that adorned their malnourished bodies. After class, we got to plant trees in the yard at the school. It was an amazing way to end a very difficult day.

The bindi

While out and about today, I noticed that not only women were adorning the bindi (the red dot located on the forehead). So I asked Vidya why men were marking their foreheads as well. She told me that they spread a line of ash between their eyes to represent ashes to ashes. It reminds them that they will one day too be ash, and it helps them keep grounded while they acknowledge their limited time on earth.

The women believe there is a sensitive spot, located directly between the eyes. The bindi is placed over this sensitive area as a means of protecting it.

The whole 9 yards..

What a beautiful day it was here in India. Woke up this morning around 8 feeling well rested and anxious to get out and explore. Our class met up for breakfast at 9, we had eggs, dosas, and the most amazing lime/orange juice. After breakfast everyone got into the van and headed to Vidya's sister's home to meet her family. Her mother was beautiful, wrapped finely in a sari and very proud to tell the group that she was 85 years old. After visiting Vidya's mother, we headed out into Chennai to begin the long day of shopping. The colors are out of this world amazing. Each of us were given 4000 rupees to spend today (approximately $100) and with under 4000 rupees I now have 3 complete outfits and 2 gorgeous scarves (which adorn the female outfit at all times).

After the first shop, Vidya took us all to a South Indian restaurant for lunch. We walked into the room and it was literally ALL eyes on us, definitely not anything I have experienced before. Lunch was delicious. After lunch we headed out for more shopping, and as the day went on I began to become more and more comfortable with the awkward long stares from the crowds of people, I guess we 8 Americans stand out a bit :)

First Impressions.

Our class arrived to Chennai around 1:50am here in India. Our professor Vidya was waiting with her sister for us on the other side of customs and they both greeted us with jasmine leis, which smelled AMAZING. We then headed to our vans which were waiting for us outside of the airport. The smog is thick here. It was 2 am by the time we reached the vans. The humidity is high, even in the wee hours of the morning. My first car ride through Chennai was an experience to say the least. There are zero rules on the road... many times there are no lane dividers. The person with the loudest horn has the right away. The ride to our rooms was insane. The poverty I have already seen just between our rooms and the airport is heartbreaking. Emaciated animals line the streets, old run down shacks litter the sidewalks, and the homeless wander aimlessly.

On a lighter note, it was wonderful to finally see Vidya! We are off to bed here in Chennai and will be up tomorrow morning to go shopping. In a few short hours I will be just another Sari in the crowd.

Finally On Our Way!

After many months of planning, preparation, and anticipation, we are finally in the air on our way to India. So far everything has gone extremely smoothly, check-in was a breeze, there was virtually no waiting in lines, and everyone made it in one piece to the gate. Our first flight departed at 1:40 PST and will be arriving in Frankfurt Germany for our 90 minute layover, followed by another 9-10 hour direct flight to Chennai. We are all doing our best to catch up on sleep so that we are well rested for our 3 weeks in India. I am anxiously awaiting our arrival in Chennai, and still can not believe that we will be half way around the world. For those of you following my posts, I hope you can get a bit of a taste of Southern India not only through my blog, but through the pictures. I will do my very best to convey the experiences, but where I am lacking in words, I plan on making up with pictures. 

Cheers!