My new home in Mavelikara!

Hello again! It has been a while since I have last written, the main reason being that it is nearly impossible to find internet access here. This makes it hard to stay in good contact with people at home but is actually a good thing since it helps me to be more present in my life here. So, if I don't write for weeks on end, know that it is not because I have forgotten you:).

I arrived in Mavelikara September 16th and moved into the girls hostel just outside the campus of Bishop Moore College. A hostel in India, unlike in the States and in Europe, is more like a dormitory. Around 60 girls live there throughout the school year. I have loved being at the hostel and I am constantly surrounded by friendly and lively company. The girls range from ages 17-22. They are very curious and interested in the US and the differences of culture between India and America. They have also helped me quite a bit with the language of Kerela, Malayalam. It is a beautiful language but very different from English; different sounds, different sentence structure, and a different alphabit entirely.

Mavelikara is a beautiful place. The college campus, especially, has many different kinds of tropical trees. The sunlight here is also very beautiful and bright, but it makes for some hot days. The climate here is mostly hot (I look forward to cold showers here) but it is nice in the mornings and evenings and while inside I stay pretty cool under a ceiling fan.

When inside the hostel I wear mostly the clothes I brought from home, comfortable t-shirts, pants and long skirts. But when I leave the hostel I wear a Churidar. The Churidar is a type of traditional dress that is worn by the young women here. The churidar has loose fitting pants that you tie above your bellybutton line (they look a bit like Jasmine's pants from the movie Aladin). It also comes with a short sleeved, knee length dress that you where over the pants, Usually the dress is a similar color as the pants but has different design. You also wear a scarf around the neck that matches the pattern of the pants. It is quite beautiful. I originally was excited about not being so concerned about the way I look. But this culture like most appreciates a well dressed man or woman. (Plus I kind of like dressing up).

I have already created a schedule. I am teaching English at a lower primary school, 1st - 4th grade, Monday's and Wednesday's. I am teaching two spoken English classes with the 1st year and 2nd year students at Bishop Moore college, Tuesday and Thursdays as well as teaching spoken english classes three days a week for the girls in the hostel. I also lead worship Wednesday night and want to start an english Bible study, either in the hostel or in the local CMS church. I might also assist students with computer skills either Wednesday or Friday at the college. And Friday's I want to take time to visit Jyothis, a home for children with some physical disabilities. Saturday's are suppose to be for myself, but I have a feeling I will be doing lots of home visits on Saturday's and on some weekends I will be going to visit the other volunteers in their sites.

So, as you can see I have a busy schedule. Teaching English is a bit overwelming, especially to the little one's, since the only English phrases they know are "Hello" and "How are you?" The college students seem very eager to learn English and I have had some good suggestions from several of the English teachers at Bishop Moore College on what I can do with the students. Also, thanks to my Italian teacher in college, I too have some interesting ideas to make the class fun. I think once I get in the swing of it I will really enjoy teaching.

The kids at the Lower Primary school are adorable. When I first got to the school, they all ran up to me saying "Hello. How are you?" Their little hand were reaching out to me and I felt very welcomed. In fact, since I have been here I have felt very welcomed by the students, by the staff, all wanting me to be a part of their lives. I have developed some closer friendships with a couple of the women in the English department as well as Amama (basically the mother of the hostel). She has also been like a mother to me. Sometimes we really have a hard time understanding each other, although she knows a lot more English then I know Malayalam. Nonetheless, we enjoy each other's company and laugh often together. I am finding when I miss home that homour is one of the best cures. Yesterday Amama took me into town with her and I bought 2 more Churidars to add to my other 4, which means now I have one for each day of the week:). And then she took me to get ice cream. It felt so wonderful to be taken care of.

Language is the biggest barrier for me right now. When I am in the college setting I don't have to worry about it as much since I am with English speaking teachers most of the day but when I am at the LP school or when I go into town it would be helpful if I new the language a bit better. I guess I have only been here for a couple weeks.

Another thing I have noticed here is everything takes at least twice as long: transportation, laundry, shopping. But I enjoy this, for the most part, and feel I am really learning how to slow down again (like I did in Italy). I ussually walk everywhere or ride the bike they have provided for me. I wash, scrub, rinse, and hang up my clothes (a long process that has really made me appreciate washing machines). Also, in Mavelikara you can't find a lot of the classroom supplies you would find in stores in America. There are not specific stores for school supplies. Instead the shops are more like convenient stores, where everything is all together. However, you can't always browse around and find what you want. Many times you have to ask the shopkeeper if they have a certain item.

For the most part, life is good here. I wake up early do some yoga and meditation, go to breakfast, which is my favorite meal of the day. Go throughout my day meeting people and having interesting conversations, usually about cultural differences, eating food that is constantly being shared with me (they love to feed you over here) then come back to the hostel in the afternoon in time for 4:00 tea:). Have worship at 6 and then have time to prepare for class, play guitar, read, etc...while the girls study. Dinner is at 8 then I visit with the girls some before I go to bed. Life is full and although I miss home, my friends and my family very much, I am very happy here in my new home in Mavelikara.

P.S. Next time I will try to post pictures!

My First Impressions...

I have arrived safely here in Kerela. It is an absolutely beautiful
place, so green, verdant and lush, truly a tropical paradise. I love
all the palm trees and banana trees. However, as beautiful as the
landscape is there is a lot of visible poverty here. This is very
disheartening and one of the main reasons I have come to Kerela; to
learn about how to respond to such injustices not only in India but in
the U.S.A when I return. I have so much to learn about the social
structures that are in place that keep a caste system or in the case
of America a class system alive today.
I have already experienced some culture shock which according to our
trusted site coordinator doesn't go away completely for 6-9 months. We
have been staying at Thomas John Achen's (pastor) house for the past
week. We, myself and 5 other volunteers from America, are learning
about the culture, the history, and the economy of Kerela and how it
is affected by the rest of the world, especially the U.S. We are also
learning Malayalam, the regional language here in Kerela and having
daily bible studies. I enjoy looking at the bible from a social
justice point of view and seeing how Jesus responded with truth and
with love to many of the injustices of his time, which are very much
still in existence today, such as prejudice and intolerance. I have had many rich
conversations about politics and religion here and look forward to
having many more in the future.
I also have enjoyed some 'delicious' Indian food. Be careful when
using the word delicious here unless you really mean it. Being overly
nice as Americans often do is seen as ingenuine and is discouraged
here. Actions speak louder then words, therefore asking for seconds
implies that you enjoyed the meal. I have loved eating breakfast,
lunch, and dinner with Achen, his wife, all the volunteers, and any
visitors. It is like we are one big happy family. My favorite time of
day is tea time at 4:00. And may I say the tea here is "DELICIOUS."
May I have another cup:).
We have ventured into the city almost everyday, besides the days when
it has rained all day. The Monsoon was suppose to be ending in July
but because of unusual weather patterns (global warming?) it is still
raining in September. I rather enjoy the rain, especially when reading
or learning Malayalam or sleeping. The constant pitter patter of the
rain gives me comfort in this foreign place. On the days it hasn't
rain we have gone shopping for Saree's which we will be wearing most
of the year, visiting friends and family of Achen, and today we got to
ride an Asian elephant. I have enjoyed all our outings although as a
group of white Americans we attract a lot of stares, (which can be
taken as I am the weird white person or as I like to see it, I am
famous!) Oh and in case you ever venture to this part of the world the
driving here is crazy, two lanes turns into four!!! I am out...more to come soon, or at least the next time I get internet access:).