After Holi things returned to a normal pace around the town and school. I've continue to enjoy helping with the English classes in the morning and then take off quickly before lunch. The cook, Bharti-mam, does not understand why myself and Nadine, the other volunteer, do not like to eat mushy white rice and salty/watery dal every day. The afternoons are my time off, I usually hunt out some western food and attempt to shop to bring goods to sell back in Canada for the school. As much as I like shopping everything is a fight. Everyone claims to have the best quality and if you talk to an Indian they always say that you could have gotten it cheaper. Either way I think I have some nice silk scarves.
Nadine and i decided it would be nice to take the kids out on a few adventures. The first of which was taking half of the hostel kids out to a movie. By the time all the rickshaws arrived we we 20 minutes late. It was probably a good thing as, despite asking before hand, the movie "Happy Elephants" did not contain any happy moments and was all killing and fighting. Thankfully the 3 year-old has vision problems and was focused only on the movie popcorn and pop with ice in it. The other kids were so happy as they are never allowed to see movies like that.
The next Saturday Nadine and I selfishly wanted to go to a pool as it is in the high 30's here. So we took all the kids to Hotel Surya in the "nice" part of Varanasi ( I couldn't tell the difference) The kids had never seen such a nice pool. The hotel was quick to try to rid the pool of the mass of children and kept complaining that they were not in swimming costumes. Nadine and I stood firm and we stayed as long as we wanted. And we had so much fun!
We made it back to the hostel in time to watch India vs Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup. As I have completely no idea about cricket I couldn't even understand the score and thought that the kids were just not speaking English properly when they kept telling me the game would last 6 hours. The streets were totally dead all evening until 1030 when they officially won. We ran to the roof of my guest house and people were lighting off fireworks in every direction.
The next day we took the other half of the kids to a much more appropriate movie. Which was 3 hours of musical montage's and so much overacting that Nadine and I had no problem understanding the plot. The best part was the escalator in the mall. The kids were so frightened to step on it and we had to help each kids one by one. Then during intermission I took the girls to the bathroom and when I reminded them to flush they were so confused. I showed them and they all ran to watch the fascinating flush toilet! It was so great!
My last week is coming to an end and I am already sad to be thinking about leaving. But I am also excited as being here has given me so many ideas of how I can continue to be involved from from home. So stayed tuned for lots more fund-raising schemes!
Must go it is time for lice check! My count is on rise and I need to get mine and the kids numbers down :)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Holy "Holi!"
Yes I think I am probably the first one to make that connection.
Varanasi the city spent the week preparing for Holi and the whole city sitting was buzzing. Colour was for sale every few feet and big piles of sticks were being made to burn bonfires the night before Holi.
On Friday at the school there was a pre- Holi celebration and we all threw coloured powder on each other and afterward all 120 kids got new Holi clothes. The were hideous/hilarious sequined dresses and embroidered shirts but the kids were so proud of them.
On the actual Holi eve we went for a walk around the ghats on the Ganga with the kids who had not gone home for the holiday. But we made sure to have them all home by 8pm as that is when the drinking starts. I slept at the hostel that as everyone said it would not be safe for a woman on the streets until 2pm the next day. From the hostel we could see the fires burning and hear the firecrackers going all night. The girls were so excited that Nadine (the other volunteer) and myself were sleeping over. I was excited too but the excitement wore off when the girls fell asleep with their arms and legs around me and scratching for lice in their slumber. But despite that and the cement floor and dogs howling all night, I was really happy to be there in the morning.
The boys were all putting silver on their faces and I wanted to as well (not knowing why, just because it looked funny) but they ran out. I discover the function minutes later when Bola-Sir ran in and wipe green paint all over my face and neck. Gone were the powders of Friday and the real stuff was not going to come off.
Soon after buckets of water were filled and mixed with pink, purple, blue and green dye. The music was brought outside and started to play as loud as possible. The kids were all given buckets and water guns and the mayhem ensued. It was so much fun and once the buckets of water were finished we started attacking people with the mud on the ground. While Sheelu continue to make more buckets of colour we would all dance or chase each other. It was sooo much fun.
Afterward everyone attempted to clean off as much as possible and the kids put on there new Holi clothes. The kids looked relatively clean but the 4 blond foreigners playing were unable to get the dye off. Sheelu said cooking oil would take it off. I found some sesame oil in my guesthouse kitchen and lathered up but it was not super affective. It is now 2 days later and I have finally got the pink off of my face, my neck still has a green tint and all down my back are big streaks of purple where I can't reach. The most obvious though is my hair. It has made little improvement and all my blond streaks are bright pink with a few and green and blue parts. It is very eighties chique. All my Indian friends have said it will come out in only 3 weeks, one even suggested I wash it with shampoo, like I hadn't already done that 10 times. But it was totally worth it!
The next 2 days were holidays and no school so we went to a waterfall about an hour away and all the kids got to swims and bathe it felt great.
It was a great introduction to Holi!
Varanasi the city spent the week preparing for Holi and the whole city sitting was buzzing. Colour was for sale every few feet and big piles of sticks were being made to burn bonfires the night before Holi.
On Friday at the school there was a pre- Holi celebration and we all threw coloured powder on each other and afterward all 120 kids got new Holi clothes. The were hideous/hilarious sequined dresses and embroidered shirts but the kids were so proud of them.
On the actual Holi eve we went for a walk around the ghats on the Ganga with the kids who had not gone home for the holiday. But we made sure to have them all home by 8pm as that is when the drinking starts. I slept at the hostel that as everyone said it would not be safe for a woman on the streets until 2pm the next day. From the hostel we could see the fires burning and hear the firecrackers going all night. The girls were so excited that Nadine (the other volunteer) and myself were sleeping over. I was excited too but the excitement wore off when the girls fell asleep with their arms and legs around me and scratching for lice in their slumber. But despite that and the cement floor and dogs howling all night, I was really happy to be there in the morning.
The boys were all putting silver on their faces and I wanted to as well (not knowing why, just because it looked funny) but they ran out. I discover the function minutes later when Bola-Sir ran in and wipe green paint all over my face and neck. Gone were the powders of Friday and the real stuff was not going to come off.
Soon after buckets of water were filled and mixed with pink, purple, blue and green dye. The music was brought outside and started to play as loud as possible. The kids were all given buckets and water guns and the mayhem ensued. It was so much fun and once the buckets of water were finished we started attacking people with the mud on the ground. While Sheelu continue to make more buckets of colour we would all dance or chase each other. It was sooo much fun.
Afterward everyone attempted to clean off as much as possible and the kids put on there new Holi clothes. The kids looked relatively clean but the 4 blond foreigners playing were unable to get the dye off. Sheelu said cooking oil would take it off. I found some sesame oil in my guesthouse kitchen and lathered up but it was not super affective. It is now 2 days later and I have finally got the pink off of my face, my neck still has a green tint and all down my back are big streaks of purple where I can't reach. The most obvious though is my hair. It has made little improvement and all my blond streaks are bright pink with a few and green and blue parts. It is very eighties chique. All my Indian friends have said it will come out in only 3 weeks, one even suggested I wash it with shampoo, like I hadn't already done that 10 times. But it was totally worth it!
The next 2 days were holidays and no school so we went to a waterfall about an hour away and all the kids got to swims and bathe it felt great.
It was a great introduction to Holi!
BHN Begins
As most of you know my dad died 2 weeks before coming on this trip. So it was up in the air whether or not I would be able to come. I decided that a month away and some time with some incredible Indian children would be good for me. And it has been. Although still overcome with missing Dad sometimes, being here feels good and this program means so much to me.
For those who don't remember or never knew.... "Basic Human Needs" Is a project here in Varanasi for street children. They run a school for 120 kids and a hostel for 35 kids. I was introduced to them through my friend Jess last summer in India and have stayed in contact and continue to want to support them. For more details see www.basichumanneeds.net
I arrived last week and was so happy to be welcomed back by the staff and kids with shouts of "Yodi-mam!" Yes I was secretly afraid they would have forgotten me. I quickly fell back into my routine of helping out in the English classes in the morning and spending time at the hostel in the evening.
I usually show up at the hostel around 4pm when they are just waking up from their nap, I alternate between playing games and being the official "lice checker." The kids actually like to be checked to see is they can beat there friends at having less lice. We keep track in the "lice book," I am 0-0-1 so far. It is really an exercise in harm reduction rather than an actual attempt to rid them of lice. The hostel kids are usually under 10 but I checked one of the school girls and got up to 38 before it got dark and I couldn't see anymore.
Then from 6-8pm is homework time. I either help out with older ones English homework or read books and play with the little ones. Unfortunately for me I started playing "bumpy road, curvy road" with the little ones and I have myself with a line-up for 45 minutes with the oldest being 13years old and dying to sit and my lap and play "bumpy road"
The youngest kid right now in the hostel is 3 years old and the cutest thing alive. When he came to the hostel a few months ago he could barely walk and never smiled. He now runs everywhere and has the best full bellied laugh ever. All the kids take care of him and make sure he is taken care of and wash him when he forgets to tell people he needs to go "2 number." He has an older sister and a brother who also live in the hostel and there is an understanding that they need to take care of him if no one else will.
When I first arrived there were 2 other volunteers in the school. They were holding twin babies and feeding them rice and dal. I was surprised they were feeding them this but when I mentioned it they told me they were actually 2 and a 1/2 years old and severely malnourished. They have been working with them for 2 months feeding them and giving them "ensure" every day. They have just started to sit and one of them has learned to crawl. Their older brother and sister live in the hostel but the hostel does not have the capacity to take babies and they go home every night around 7pm.
Overall I am pretty excited to be back here and that I get to be part of such a great project for a full month!
For those who don't remember or never knew.... "Basic Human Needs" Is a project here in Varanasi for street children. They run a school for 120 kids and a hostel for 35 kids. I was introduced to them through my friend Jess last summer in India and have stayed in contact and continue to want to support them. For more details see www.basichumanneeds.net
I arrived last week and was so happy to be welcomed back by the staff and kids with shouts of "Yodi-mam!" Yes I was secretly afraid they would have forgotten me. I quickly fell back into my routine of helping out in the English classes in the morning and spending time at the hostel in the evening.
I usually show up at the hostel around 4pm when they are just waking up from their nap, I alternate between playing games and being the official "lice checker." The kids actually like to be checked to see is they can beat there friends at having less lice. We keep track in the "lice book," I am 0-0-1 so far. It is really an exercise in harm reduction rather than an actual attempt to rid them of lice. The hostel kids are usually under 10 but I checked one of the school girls and got up to 38 before it got dark and I couldn't see anymore.
Then from 6-8pm is homework time. I either help out with older ones English homework or read books and play with the little ones. Unfortunately for me I started playing "bumpy road, curvy road" with the little ones and I have myself with a line-up for 45 minutes with the oldest being 13years old and dying to sit and my lap and play "bumpy road"
The youngest kid right now in the hostel is 3 years old and the cutest thing alive. When he came to the hostel a few months ago he could barely walk and never smiled. He now runs everywhere and has the best full bellied laugh ever. All the kids take care of him and make sure he is taken care of and wash him when he forgets to tell people he needs to go "2 number." He has an older sister and a brother who also live in the hostel and there is an understanding that they need to take care of him if no one else will.
When I first arrived there were 2 other volunteers in the school. They were holding twin babies and feeding them rice and dal. I was surprised they were feeding them this but when I mentioned it they told me they were actually 2 and a 1/2 years old and severely malnourished. They have been working with them for 2 months feeding them and giving them "ensure" every day. They have just started to sit and one of them has learned to crawl. Their older brother and sister live in the hostel but the hostel does not have the capacity to take babies and they go home every night around 7pm.
Overall I am pretty excited to be back here and that I get to be part of such a great project for a full month!
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