We're confronted by it daily here, and it is so much different than the young woman asking me to buy a roast chicken in the Cub parking lot on Lake Street in Minneapolis. That I can do.
But here it hits you so much harder, and often. Today on my way back from some errands, a young teenage girl was sitting on the sidewalk, clearly not where she really lives. She was alone. She jumped up when she saw me and started asking me for money. Usually, I carry biscuits (crackers), but didn't have any with me, and often after you've given them food, they still persist for money anyway. I kept walking, the pain and self hate growing inside. The internal battle that happens everytime. I think of Jesus and his teachings, or, even just from listening to my brother talk about these things, and all I want to do is get rid of everything I own and give it to the poor. But, the last thing I want is to give to a begging ring, or be a part of exploiting this girl. The tour guide yesterday at Dharavi talked about how slum people are all employed, and the street people choose to live that way, that they would rather just beg than work. That there would be jobs for them if they wanted, but, that they can often get more from the begging rings. But then this involves exploiting children, or injuries inflicted on people to look more pathetic and needy. I wondered how much truth their is in those statements. But it scares me enough to not want to ever give money.
Why have I been given such a privileged life? Every step away, and every step she follows, for three blocks, breaks my heart, over and over again. Because regardless of who put her on that street, she is still a young woman, whether trapped by circumstance, or there by choice, that is in need, and I have so much more than I will ever need. I say a prayer for her, and finish my walk home.
I know I will never have the answer for this. But I do know that after living here, I will never complain about money again.
Rachel
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Visit to Dharavi
For those of you who don't know, Dharavi is the largest slum in all of Asia, and it is a 10 minute rickshaw ride away from our apartment.
A little background: the land was originally a marsh. Builders threw their construction waste into the marsh, eventually making it solid enough for people to start living on top (this is as far back as the late 1800's). Now, over 1 million people reside in the 1.7 square kilometer area. The land is actually quite valuable (situated between the highest priced living neighborhood and the highest priced commercial area in Mumbai).
There is an NGO that runs tours through Dharavi. Their hope is to dispel the negative connotation that people have of a "slum". There are legal and illegal slums. Dharavi is a legal slum, where the land is owned by the government, rented by the people.
There is a surprising number of industry, mostly involving recycling (plastics, leather, aluminum, paint cans, cooking oil cans), but also in textiles (luggage, clothes, pottery). There are a couple schools, mosques, churches, temples, even a bakery. They have running water, and even some of the higher end apartments have AC and satellite TV.
They stress the focus on community and peace. It is one of the safest places in Mumbai. If the community finds out you are a criminal in anyway, you would get forced out. The people are very proud to be from Dharavi, and love their community very much.
As we walked through, many of the children were super excited to say hello or practice their English with us. One teenage girl even had our friend Twyla hold a baby. In that same group, a younger girl insisted I share her bag of cheetos (how did she know I love those?) An older woman came up to us, with her hands in the prayer position, touched her chin and forehead and bowed. It was clear this is a loving community.
And yet, walking around, there was plenty to make you not want to drop everything and move in. It was extremely dirty. Open sewers, dead pieces of rats, standing water, trash, chemicals. Most of the living areas are so crammed, walking through the extremely narrow alleyways is dark and wet. Some of the industry there is not exactly health or environmentally friendly (melting down aluminum and plastic, the workers don't wear masks or protective gear and the fumes flow right into the air). The chemicals and waste flow right into the river (the smell is indescribable) which flows out to the ocean (no wonder there is a 7 mile dead zone around Mumbai).
There is talk of demolishing Dharavi, clean up the area, build high rises for the residents. What's the right answer? The living conditions are tough. And yet, the people are happy, hardworking, and love their community. The industry there employs thousands of people. Those exact living conditions have created that special shared human experience. And that would be a tragedy if lost.
Picture taking is not allowed, but, if you really want to see the ins and outs of Dharavi, our friends Matt and Drew shared with us a documentary called "Slumming It" by Kevin McCloud. It does a much better job of showing the extremes of this place. There really is no good way to write about it, but, I hope I've shared a little of it with you.
Rachel
A little background: the land was originally a marsh. Builders threw their construction waste into the marsh, eventually making it solid enough for people to start living on top (this is as far back as the late 1800's). Now, over 1 million people reside in the 1.7 square kilometer area. The land is actually quite valuable (situated between the highest priced living neighborhood and the highest priced commercial area in Mumbai).
There is an NGO that runs tours through Dharavi. Their hope is to dispel the negative connotation that people have of a "slum". There are legal and illegal slums. Dharavi is a legal slum, where the land is owned by the government, rented by the people.
There is a surprising number of industry, mostly involving recycling (plastics, leather, aluminum, paint cans, cooking oil cans), but also in textiles (luggage, clothes, pottery). There are a couple schools, mosques, churches, temples, even a bakery. They have running water, and even some of the higher end apartments have AC and satellite TV.
They stress the focus on community and peace. It is one of the safest places in Mumbai. If the community finds out you are a criminal in anyway, you would get forced out. The people are very proud to be from Dharavi, and love their community very much.
As we walked through, many of the children were super excited to say hello or practice their English with us. One teenage girl even had our friend Twyla hold a baby. In that same group, a younger girl insisted I share her bag of cheetos (how did she know I love those?) An older woman came up to us, with her hands in the prayer position, touched her chin and forehead and bowed. It was clear this is a loving community.
And yet, walking around, there was plenty to make you not want to drop everything and move in. It was extremely dirty. Open sewers, dead pieces of rats, standing water, trash, chemicals. Most of the living areas are so crammed, walking through the extremely narrow alleyways is dark and wet. Some of the industry there is not exactly health or environmentally friendly (melting down aluminum and plastic, the workers don't wear masks or protective gear and the fumes flow right into the air). The chemicals and waste flow right into the river (the smell is indescribable) which flows out to the ocean (no wonder there is a 7 mile dead zone around Mumbai).
There is talk of demolishing Dharavi, clean up the area, build high rises for the residents. What's the right answer? The living conditions are tough. And yet, the people are happy, hardworking, and love their community. The industry there employs thousands of people. Those exact living conditions have created that special shared human experience. And that would be a tragedy if lost.
Picture taking is not allowed, but, if you really want to see the ins and outs of Dharavi, our friends Matt and Drew shared with us a documentary called "Slumming It" by Kevin McCloud. It does a much better job of showing the extremes of this place. There really is no good way to write about it, but, I hope I've shared a little of it with you.
Rachel
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A Goan Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving Day, we began the morning with a Peace Assembly dedicated to a remembrance of the 26-Nov Mumbai Terrorist attacks. The event, designed by our superintendent, was a celebration of unity through music and brought together the entire K-12 school in the gym. Rachel lead a group of elementary singers in a rousing rendition of "Peace Like a River," which featured actions that even our older students enjoyed. Tom, the choir teacher I work with, led a group singing a Hebrew peace song, a senior music student did a piano/voice song she composed, and the faculty rock band played "Gimme Some More" and a combo of "Give Peace a Chance" and "Hey Jude." We ended with much of the school singing along with "na, na na na na na na ..." We were a proud music dept!
The other very impressive sight in Old Goa is the original Fransiscan monastery complex, which is in ruins. Walking around the broken stones, half-standing walls, and chipped azulejo tiles (that reference is for the those who've studied in Spain or Puebla, Mexico) over looking a valley of palm tress is a surreal experience. These monks were VERY far outside of their comfort zone.
That evening, many teachers went on a long weekend holiday. We joined Greg, Twyla, and Waciuma on a trip to Goa! We arrived in time for a late dinner of delicious seafood.
Friday morning, we took a tour of Old Goa, the original Portuguese capital before they moved the city because of frequent malaria outbreaks. Between 1540 and 1961, the Portuguese ruled Goa as a profitable spice colony. (Note the end date: the rest of India achieved independence in 1947!) Amazingly, during the 16th-18th centuries, Goa actually had a greater population than London or Lisbon!. The legacy left from the Portuguese is everywhere, but it is easily seen in the great cathedrals and churches. This is Se Catedral and it is the largest cathedral in all of Asia (it also contains the largest bell) and was constructed in the early 1600s.
The other very impressive sight in Old Goa is the original Fransiscan monastery complex, which is in ruins. Walking around the broken stones, half-standing walls, and chipped azulejo tiles (that reference is for the those who've studied in Spain or Puebla, Mexico) over looking a valley of palm tress is a surreal experience. These monks were VERY far outside of their comfort zone.
After seeing the glory of the Goan colony, the next day we toured the source of all that revenue -- a spice plantation. After an hours drive through a beautiful countryside of rice paddies, palm trees, banana trees, and soft rolling hills, we reached our destination. There, we got to see pepper, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, beedle nut, vanilla, tumeric, corriander (cillantro), pinapple, and a few others I might be forgetting. For someone who loves to know what food looks like in its original form, it was a joyous day.
The other great part of being on the planation was the great lunch that came with our tour ticket. We enjoyed freshly cooked food with locally grown spices.
And the icing on the cake was some great birding -- notably a kingfisher (India's national bird) and a hornbill.
The rest of the time was spent on the beach. Waciuma and Rachel enjoyed massages, Greg chatted it up with many children selling peanuts, we had several great meals, body-surfed in the very warm waters, and even bought psychedelic laser pointers.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving too!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Crazy Mumbai
As I was out running this morning on the road that hugs the rocky rubble strewn coast of the Arabian Sea, I came upon an amazingly strong fish smell. This is not unusual in that in addition to the fact that it's the ocean, there happens to be an indigenous Koli fishing village about a five minute jog down the street from our apartment. This smell was much stronger than any I'd ever smelled in India -- and that's saying something. As I rounded the bend in the road, the docks were flush with pink.
Millions of prawns were neatly laid out on every conceivable flat surface drying in the mid-morning sun. Guarding the precious seafood were villagers with fly swatters slowly walking through the thin layer of prawns. Little kids were guarding the perimeter against the hungry street dogs and cats. As I stopped to check this out (for as long as my nose could take it), I was once again reminded of living San Miguel Tzinacapan. I immediately remembered the roofs of the village houses that were covered in the dull red color of coffee beans. And while it took no time at all to get over the obvious health concerns of drinking coffee made from beans that had been drying out on somebody's roof, it will take me longer to eat dried prawns. I'm very excited about fried prawns -- no way any bacteria will survive that heat! -- but dried, no way Jose.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Instead of a narrative for this blog entry, check out the photos with detailed captions. Please comment or ask questions! Take care, Reid and RachelSaturday, October 23, 2010
Singing is a gift
"Didi, you sing. Please Didi, sing again".
This week at Ashray (the orphanage we're volunteering at) I taught a simple song and hand clapping game. The song and game was a big hit.
Unbelievably heart-warming but just as much heart-wrenching was what transpired throughout the rest of the evening. One student in particular latched onto me and asked what I thought was to teach her the song again. After some lost-in-translation moments, I realized she just wanted me to sing for her. She sat there working on her assignment while I sang. Many of the children throughout the evening did the same. They wanted to hear the song they just learned as well as anything new I'd sing for them. Often they'd stop their work just to listen and watch me as I sang. In the second lesson group, an 11-12 year old or so boy held my hand as he wrote his assignment with the other.
I have never really considered myself a "singer" in the soloist or professional sense. I admit I can sing in tune and blend well with the best of them in a Lutheran choir, but, my sister and brother have always had the amazing voices, you know, ones that you would want to listen to on stage or have solo at your wedding.
But these kids were so transfixed by my singing to them. It finally dawned on me that they haven't had someone singing "You Are My Sunshine" to them every night (like I did as a child). I wanted to stay that night and tuck them each into bed, hold their hand and sing them all to sleep.
As we began to pack up, those feelings of overwhelmingness began inside me about how massive the greater issue at hand is and how could I possibly make any difference. The students in their excitement at the end of the lesson begin playing the game on their own again or running around to all of us teachers giving high fives, shaking hands, and saying thank you. I sighed... I have at least one small gift to give.
Last week the students were calling us "teacher". This week, I became "Didi"-- the affectionate term for older sister.
"Bye Didi. Sing voice good. Next time? Thank you Didi! Thank you!"
Love,
Rachel
Rachel
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Settling In
While it seems quite odd to say it, we are now starting to feel like this is our home. The routines are becoming familiar, we are developing greater friendships, become more involved at school and in the community, and finally know our way around. In short, life is settling in.
This past week we had our first evening teaching at the local orphanage/crisis center. There are about 15 ASB teachers that are volunteering to teach some basic English and character-building lessons to around a total of 30 kids, ranging in age from 7-14. These kids are from families with parents involved in the sex industry or who have parents with HIV/AIDS. They have a lot of spunk but not a lot of social skills, which is understandable in every way. In addition to a short lesson on healthy habits like brushing teeth and learning to cough into your elbow, we spent a lot of time on appropriate ways to handle conflict. Pushing, shoving, and grabbing are all major issues here.
The group of ASB teachers is organized into four teams with each group going everyother Tuesday or Thursdays -- Rachel and I are in one of the Thursday groups. Although that is what we have committed to, I think that we will both go whenever possible as it is such rewarding work and a great stress reliever from the daily grind of life. In particular, the boys have latched on to the male teachers in the group. Even though we are putting forth minimal effort with just 30 kids, it feels fulfilling to be addressing the issue of mass poverty in our own little way.
What is so hard about life here is the contrasts. Literally one block down from the orphanage are the jewelry stores that supply gold in all shapes and sizes to the richest families in India. Diwali is approaching (the biggest Hindu holiday of the year) and the stores are all lit up like Christmas trees. It is really fun to walk through that area of the neighborhood at night because the brightly colored lights dance up and down the street with each jewelry store trying to out-do the next.
Rachel and the faculty dance troop have been hard at work this week in preparation for their dance at the Diwali assembly. She loves the challenging steps and has taken a lot of leadership in the group. They are seriously into it -- we'll have to get a video of the performance posted on the blog this weekend. I will be tapping my toe in the audience while wearing my newly purchased cotton-silk, all-black with gold thread embroidery, Indian suit.
These past few weeks have been nuts in the band room. We are 2/3 of the way through the October concerts -- 8th/High School went on Oct 6 and 6th gr went on Oct 13 while 7th grade performs this coming week. The jazz program is in full swing (Ha ha ha!) with regular rehearsals on Tuesday mornings from 7:00 to 7:50am. And, I finished coaching 9 middle school students as they submitted recordings for the Asian Middle Level Honor Band, which is held in Bangkok this year. Adding to that, quarter grades are due tomorrow -- mine are done -- with extended comments for each student (all 147 for me).
Rachel is beginning to plan the big Christmas tree lighting party at the Grand Hyatt. This included a fabulous lunch the other day at the hotel with the manager (a parent at our school) and a meal personally created by the chef, who hung out with them later. Needless to say, I was a bit jealous! She had parent-teacher conferences this past week and was able to meet many parents and have great conversations.
In travel news, we are attempting to single-handedly rescue the airline industry from the recession. We have a spring break trip booked to Seattle and Minneapolis. We'll be in Seattle April 1-4 and Minneapolis 4-8. And, we have moved ahead with our big Europe trip plan -- we've booked flights in and out of London from June 8 to July 25. We're on the move and excited to see more and more.
Bye for now, hope all is well back in the States, especially in Minneapolis where the Twins had a rough week.
Reid
This past week we had our first evening teaching at the local orphanage/crisis center. There are about 15 ASB teachers that are volunteering to teach some basic English and character-building lessons to around a total of 30 kids, ranging in age from 7-14. These kids are from families with parents involved in the sex industry or who have parents with HIV/AIDS. They have a lot of spunk but not a lot of social skills, which is understandable in every way. In addition to a short lesson on healthy habits like brushing teeth and learning to cough into your elbow, we spent a lot of time on appropriate ways to handle conflict. Pushing, shoving, and grabbing are all major issues here.
The group of ASB teachers is organized into four teams with each group going everyother Tuesday or Thursdays -- Rachel and I are in one of the Thursday groups. Although that is what we have committed to, I think that we will both go whenever possible as it is such rewarding work and a great stress reliever from the daily grind of life. In particular, the boys have latched on to the male teachers in the group. Even though we are putting forth minimal effort with just 30 kids, it feels fulfilling to be addressing the issue of mass poverty in our own little way.
What is so hard about life here is the contrasts. Literally one block down from the orphanage are the jewelry stores that supply gold in all shapes and sizes to the richest families in India. Diwali is approaching (the biggest Hindu holiday of the year) and the stores are all lit up like Christmas trees. It is really fun to walk through that area of the neighborhood at night because the brightly colored lights dance up and down the street with each jewelry store trying to out-do the next.
Rachel and the faculty dance troop have been hard at work this week in preparation for their dance at the Diwali assembly. She loves the challenging steps and has taken a lot of leadership in the group. They are seriously into it -- we'll have to get a video of the performance posted on the blog this weekend. I will be tapping my toe in the audience while wearing my newly purchased cotton-silk, all-black with gold thread embroidery, Indian suit.
These past few weeks have been nuts in the band room. We are 2/3 of the way through the October concerts -- 8th/High School went on Oct 6 and 6th gr went on Oct 13 while 7th grade performs this coming week. The jazz program is in full swing (Ha ha ha!) with regular rehearsals on Tuesday mornings from 7:00 to 7:50am. And, I finished coaching 9 middle school students as they submitted recordings for the Asian Middle Level Honor Band, which is held in Bangkok this year. Adding to that, quarter grades are due tomorrow -- mine are done -- with extended comments for each student (all 147 for me).
Rachel is beginning to plan the big Christmas tree lighting party at the Grand Hyatt. This included a fabulous lunch the other day at the hotel with the manager (a parent at our school) and a meal personally created by the chef, who hung out with them later. Needless to say, I was a bit jealous! She had parent-teacher conferences this past week and was able to meet many parents and have great conversations.
In travel news, we are attempting to single-handedly rescue the airline industry from the recession. We have a spring break trip booked to Seattle and Minneapolis. We'll be in Seattle April 1-4 and Minneapolis 4-8. And, we have moved ahead with our big Europe trip plan -- we've booked flights in and out of London from June 8 to July 25. We're on the move and excited to see more and more.
Bye for now, hope all is well back in the States, especially in Minneapolis where the Twins had a rough week.
Reid
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Music Box Dancer
This one's for you mom.
You know how smells can bring you instantly to a memory of something? Maybe something you haven't thought about in years? Well, that happened to me today, but, with music.
On Thursdays after school, the piano class is held in my room. Eight keyboards with elementary students of all different (beginning) levels. Mostly it's a lot of fun noise (they don't use headphones) as two Indian piano teachers walk around and tutor each of the students. One of my fourth grade girls had her keyboard set up closest to my desk. As I was working on some lesson plans she and her instructor started playing.
Suddenly, I was 8 or 9 years old again, sitting in my parent's basement at the piano, in my pajamas (pink floral- the ones that my best friend Ann and I both had so we would match), with wet hair after having showered, playing the same song-- The Music Box Dancer. I was seriously there for an instant. I remembered how much I practiced that song, how much I loved it (especially when I could play it fast) and that I got to play it on the high part of the piano and how cool I thought that was. How crazy our brain is! Why did such a VIVID and distinct memory stay lodged way deep in there for so long, totally forgotten, to then resurface 20 years later, with an Indian piano instructor teaching a Korean student in my classroom in Mumbai.
Random, surreal, and precious.
Love,
Rachel
You know how smells can bring you instantly to a memory of something? Maybe something you haven't thought about in years? Well, that happened to me today, but, with music.
On Thursdays after school, the piano class is held in my room. Eight keyboards with elementary students of all different (beginning) levels. Mostly it's a lot of fun noise (they don't use headphones) as two Indian piano teachers walk around and tutor each of the students. One of my fourth grade girls had her keyboard set up closest to my desk. As I was working on some lesson plans she and her instructor started playing.
Suddenly, I was 8 or 9 years old again, sitting in my parent's basement at the piano, in my pajamas (pink floral- the ones that my best friend Ann and I both had so we would match), with wet hair after having showered, playing the same song-- The Music Box Dancer. I was seriously there for an instant. I remembered how much I practiced that song, how much I loved it (especially when I could play it fast) and that I got to play it on the high part of the piano and how cool I thought that was. How crazy our brain is! Why did such a VIVID and distinct memory stay lodged way deep in there for so long, totally forgotten, to then resurface 20 years later, with an Indian piano instructor teaching a Korean student in my classroom in Mumbai.
Random, surreal, and precious.
Love,
Rachel
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Our (historically) long weekend in Aurangabad
This past weekend, Rachel and I joined up with Kevin and Elizabeth (MS Math and MS/HS Librarian) to take a trip back into a time where religious monasteries kept cultures and traditions alive. In visiting the ruined monastic enclaves around Aurangabad, we were able to follow the historical development of Buddhism from around 2nd century B.C. through its decline around 600 A.D., gain a perspective on Hindu monastic life from 600 to 900 AD, and begin to understand the similarities and differences with Jainism. We completed our chronological trip with visits to early and late Mughal sites dating from around 1300 to 1650AD. 1800 years of history in one valley in around 48 hours -- here goes!
First up, the Buddhist monastery at Ajanta (a two and a half hour drive out into the hills around Aurangabad). On the way, we were reminded that although we live in the enormous metropolis of Mumbai, around 70% of all Indians still live in small towns and villages and these people have a tough life. Note the photo of the woman carrying water on her head, walking along the highway -- there are few jobs out here that bring in money to the area. What little capital that does flow in comes largely through tourism.
The Ajanta caves were chiseled out of the cliffs overlooking a horseshoe-shaped bend in the river by hand by an unknown number of laborers funded through the donations of local wealthy families and rulers from around 2nd c. B. C. through 600 AD. We weren't sure which was more impressive: that each cave was cut out, one hammer stroke at a time, or the meticulously detailed paintings they used to adorn the caves. Although Ajanta is rightfully famous for its paintings, the carvings are pretty impressive. Notable were the 24-ft long reclining Buddha, the ceiling that gave the optical illusion that it was a piece of fabric blowing in the wind, and the scene of four deer all sharing the same head (see photo). These artistic and engineering achievements were mind blowing for us.
The paintings depict various scenes from the life of the Buddha including his rejection of all material possessions (he was a prince before he chose to become a monk), his wife trying to seduce him back by trying to get him drunk, and my favorite, the entire 'immaculate conception' dream had by his mother foretelling his coming from the metaphor of a six-tusked elephant -- it's interesting to see such similar scenes and messages in these Buddhist caves as the ones we have heard from the Bible. Thinking about these monks searching for their own spirituality gave us a connection to our own, 2200 years later. In addition to the paintings, we were able to get a sense of monastic life by seeing bedrooms and yes, even a chiseled out pillow. Like many of these blog entries, it is very hard to write about such a vastly immense and epic place -- see the pictures or do your own wikipedia research to get a better academic feel.
While the trip to Ajanta took the entire day -- 2.5 hrs to get there, four hours to see it, then a 2.5 hour trip back to the hotel -- seeing the next stage of monastic life was much easier. As the monastery at Ajanta (and Buddhism in India) was declining, the monastery at Ellora was growing. Just a 40min drive outside of the city into the hills, the monastic caves of Ellora had three overlapping religious phrases -- Buddhism from 600-800, Hinduism from 600-900 and Jainism* from 800-1000 (all dates A.D.). While the paintings are the draw at Ajanta, Ellora brings in tourists for its engineering marvel. Like the caves of Ajanta, all of the buildings at Ellora were carved down and out of the rock escarpment. No scaffolds were used (or needed)! The main Hindu temple in the group, the Kailasa Temple, covers twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens and is half again as high and the making of it created 200,000 tons of rock in waste. While the temples and caves of the Hindu group are extremely extravagantly decorated, the Jain carvings are much less grand, but more detailed. Where the Jain caves were smaller and built for lower numbers of monks, the Hindu assembly halls could hold thousand -- minutely decorated pillars and high ceilings.
We spent around 4 hours poking our heads around Ellora before the real enemy -- the heat and humidity -- took its toll and we were forced to enjoy the ubiquitous veg-thali lunch, the meal of the day option with four cup-sized dishes accompanied by rice, naan, and spices: all for around a dollar. As we got back into the car, our driver zipped us over to Daulatabad Fort, an imposing fort used by the Moghuls from around 1300 to 1650 AD.
Along with many other local Indian tourists (it was Gandhi Day, a national holiday, afterall), we ascended the hilltop fortress. Our path took us through the outer defenses, a town-like area, over the dry moat AND the wet moat, and through a pitch black dark, urine smelling, bat infested tunnel. We paid a local 10 rupees to take us through with a torch -- we would not have made it without him due to all the unexpected turns, wet and slippery rock, and complete darkness. After the tunnel and stairs, we had only reached the halfway point. Spirits were low with the group but after several water and cracker stops, we made it to the top drenched in sweat! The views were amazing and it was interesting to see the ruined outer wall from the medieval city still serving as a border to the town that resides at the bottom of the hill. Even more interesting, from the high hilltop view, you could see the next fort over on the next hilltop miles away. Although the majority fort has not been kept in great condition, the minaret/look out tower still looked great, all painted in orange.
After our tiring outing at the fort, our historical tour completed at the Bibi-qa-Maqbarra, the "mini Taj." The last Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb (from which the name of the city is derived) had an over zealous son. His son organized the building of a mauseleum for his mother inspired by the Taj Mahal. In the middle of the construction, the boss (his father) intervened and the scope of the project was reduced. From a gleaming white marble base, the workers were forced to transition to lime mortar resulting in a rather dilapidated look as lime mortar doesn't really keep its color. Either way, as the Lonely Planet (our beloved Biblia azul) says, "it remains a sight far more impressive than the average gravestone." So if you jumped straight to the pictures before reading this entry, NO, we did not go visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. Yet.
Our first trip outside of the city was a great success. It was fun to share it with new friends, learn a lot about the peak monastic periods of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, and also to spend time outside away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. Simple walking around and breathing fresh air and falling asleep to the sound of silence (as opposed to the honking horns of our street) was rewarding for us. While we love living in our apartment in our modern neighborhood, getting out for a weekend was great.
Take care,
Reid and Rachel
*Jainism: arose in 6th century B.C. as a reaction against the caste system; strictly nonviolent towards any and all living things; shares many of the same rituals and rites with Hinduism
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Festival Times ... week two
This past Friday night, Rachel and I joined up with some of our adventurous ASB colleagues, Waciuma, Twyla, and Greg, to witness one of the most important religious events for Hindus here in Mumbai. -- Side note: although you may think Hindus in Mumbai would celebrate the same as Hindus elsewhere in India, it is actually NOT the case. Instead, each regional Hindu community has it's own particular important festival.
With apologies to all involved, I'll try to get these facts correct...
Here are the basics: Last Friday was the beginning of the Ganesha Festival and it began with a bang (see previous blog entry). On the fifth, seventh, tenth and twelfth days of the festivals, groups of Hindus -- either a housing co-op, an extended family, or a business -- bring their decorated Ganesha statue down to the beach and ceremoniously immerse it into the water. We visited our local beach, Juhu Beach, on the seventh day of the festival, which was an important day, but not nearly has popular as the last day of the festival. The last day of the festival, Sept 22, is so popular and the traffic is so bad that we have to have an early dismissal from school.
The Ganesha ceremony begins in the family home/apartment complex/business with prayers, offerings, and song. Then, the whole group of people gets moving and makes their way to the immersion site, the closest beach. Depending on the amount of effort being spent, this may include renting a mini-semi truck to carry the statue, around 30 people and a huge stereo system to blast on the way so that every one can hear you coming. If the family has a more modest income, they will just put the statue in the back of their car. Some of them we saw went traditional and had an ox and cart hauling their statue to the sea while others were fancier with three trucks: one to carry the generator, one to carry people and the sound and light system, and one to pull the Ganesha, which was carefully adorned with hundreds of flowers. Think Macy's Day Parade, but at night.
What is really great about the processions in my opinion is that once they get to the beach, the trucks and sound systems have to stay in the parking lot. This makes the beach a "relatively" calm atmosphere with pockets of people gathering around their Ganesha and singing Hindu prayer songs. As we watched and learned more by talking with Hindus who were very happy to share their traditions with us, we became more entranced by the rituals. A very elaborate cycle of singing accompanies the head of the house or priest as they burn oil and circle the statue many times. Food and sweets are offered up as the intensity of the music progresses. After the climax of the music, prayers are quietly whispered, followed by one last touch of the statue by each parishioner. After this, the men walk backwards into the sea (the festival is timed so that the tide is out during the evening) and slowly push the statue out to sea.
There are so many parts to this event that we have thoughts about, but here are a few salient points:
1) Since the recent modernization of India, the statues have been made of plaster of paris, which has caused enormous environmental damage. Local environmental NGOs estimate the this festival alone causes a SEVEN mile dead zone in the Arabian Sea.
2) Walking the beach is also very erie as the dismembered Ganesha body parts from earlier are washed up on the shore -- watch your step.
3) The symbolism behind the entire ceremony to observe the rebirth of Ganesha as he is sent back into the sand. After the ceremony, family members bring back handfulls of sand back to their houses with them.
As I re-read my entry, I feel inadequate. Our experience was extremely powerful and I hope that I have conveyed a bit of it.
Our entire experience can be summed up with one conversation with one local.
Local 14-yr old boy: "Do you have this back in America?"
Greg: "No, not at all."
Boy: "I'm going to go the U.S. and bring this to you Americans!"
In essence, people were happy to share and teach us about the ceremony which made it all the more special.
RW
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September Festivals
This past weekend was an incredible time here in Mumbai as the three major religions celebrated with big festivals.
1) Eid: Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan and breaking their final fast with fireworks, goat slaughtering, and huge parties. The big excitement is the food at sunset, but since most of it is street food, we didn't partake -- maybe next year when our tummies have adjusted better.
2) Ganesha: Hindus celebrating the beloved elephant God who is known as the remover of obstacles. Traditionally, each family orders and blesses their own Ganesha (ranging from 1-2 feet tall, to 15-20), eventually ending in a procession at the end of the week down to the ocean to have it submerged. This tradition has expanded greatly in the past few decades so that companies and housing associations have gotten in on the fun. Downtown, there are now contests for the tallest and most colorfully decorated Ganesha. Many have expanded to not just statues of the jolly God, but also telling some of the mythology behind him. Up in our suburb of Bandra, the impromptu Ganesha temples are small and quaint. The ones downtown look like they have been inspired by the Rose Parade.
3) Mary Festival: Catholics celebrating the birth of Mary while simultaneously remembering the miracle on Mount Mary (a hill here in our neighborhood), where someone had a body part cured by an appearance of Mary. If you have any part of your body ailing you, you can buy a small wax replica of it (there are countless stalls along the hill to the church) and leave it as an offering at the church so you will be healed. It is quite the experience to walk for a few blocks where everyone is selling wax arms, legs, spines, breasts, full bodies, and even things like your motorcycle or house (not sure how that fits into the miracle). On your way out of the church is another few blocks of stalls selling Indian sweets, cheap clothes and crafts, and there are even portable kiddie rides like a mini ferris wheel they have at the MN State Fair (though, I'm not even that comfortable with the ones in MN, let alone here in India).
It may be cliche to say, but it is worth pointing out a few items of note. One very interesting and exciting observation was that people from all faiths participate in and celebrate with each other. This point is particularly salient to us because of the controversy in the U.S. regarding the painfully intolerant pastor in Florida. By no means has Mumbai (or India for that matter) figured out what it means to be religiously tolerant, what we witnessed this weekend was a powerful image.
To close with a final story: on Friday evening we celebrated the end of our work at the apartment of one of our administrators. They have a nice balcony overlooking the neighborhood. At sundown we saw fireworks begin and go throughout the next couple hours, erupting from all different parts of the neighborhood. The best part was, you couldn't tell which festival was being celebrated -- all three were going on simultaneously. The icing on the religious cake came later as the cacophony of explosions were accompanied by a church choir.
So happy festivals to all!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Technology @ASB
One of the crazy parts about my life as a teacher at ASB is the technology. If you haven't checked out the school website, the main message that you are missing is that we try to lead the way in technology usage in the classroom by participating in a one-to-one laptop program (meaning every kid gr 6-12 gets a laptop).
Reid
There are a lot of great pedagogical things to do when every kid has a laptop, but it also creates a bit of a chaotic classroom. Since they all have PCs (note the Mac bias here), it takes the students anywhere from 1-3 minutes to power up and log in. Now this doesn't seem like a lot of time, but with a class of 40 it definitely is! And, since we use Windows, invariably someone cannot log in and has to restart, which puts them behind. Oh, and the battery power is real low so along with those 40 laptops in the classroom we have 40 power cords which need plug points (or plug ins for you American-English types). But I digress ...
... Laptops ... The coolest usage so far in my class for the laptops has been practice cards. All of the students can access our class OneNote (a Microsoft Office Suite product) documents and each student gets their own "tab," their own section of the document which only I and they can see/edit. So when they practice at home, they record directly onto the "tab" and when they return to school, the file is uploaded automatically (with a few glitches here and there) to the server so that I can listen to it. Yesterday afternoon, I listened to (almost) all of my students play their assigned piece and provided comments onto their OneNote tab. A wonderful formative assessment of their playing.
The high school students are learning about counterpoint and using it to understand intervalic relationships. Since they all have Sibelius on their laptops, we can use the notation software to get the two-part counterpoint pieces composed, but better yet, shared with other students. Next week in class, I will teach them how to transpose so that they can share with students who play other instruments.
These are just two examples of using technology in the band room at ASB. It's interesting, challenging and professionally stimulating to help students prepare for the 21st century.
Reid
Monday, September 6, 2010
Vignette
After getting some tea a few days ago I began walking to my before school playground duty. I got to the hallway where one entire wall is a map of the world. Standing there together were two of my more "tough guy" 5th grade boys. One was a new student to our school. They were pointing out the different places they had each lived (Sao Paolo, South Africa, Berlin, Oman, Hong Kong...), giving comparisons of what it was like to live there (maybe a favorite food, weather, memory, or sporting game they had there...) One of them started looking for Israel and was having a hard time finding it on the huge wall. They turned to me and asked me to help them find it. Once I pointed it out, they kept on with their stories of the world, including me in on their insights and experiences. For one of them, Mumbai is the 6th country he has lived in. The other one, his 4th.
It was fascinating to listen to them talk about such different places with such matter-of-factness. The ability to be in a new place and just accept things as "that's the way it is here" I think for most of us is not readily or easily accepted and understood.
These two boys have it. And they're 10 years old.
Rachel
It was fascinating to listen to them talk about such different places with such matter-of-factness. The ability to be in a new place and just accept things as "that's the way it is here" I think for most of us is not readily or easily accepted and understood.
These two boys have it. And they're 10 years old.
Rachel
Thursday, September 2, 2010
First Indian Festival!
Janmashtami- or as we westerners know it, the human pyramid festival.
Not to turn into a total teen, but, O... M.... G..... All I can say is, if my mother had been here she would have been a little nervous watching those little kids climb to the top! The long of the short of it is, teams from all around the city travel from spot to spot, trying to earn prize money (or just some glory). The goal is to reach a very high clay pot that is filled with gee (clarified butter) and honey, as well as marigolds and other special things, and the top person is to break the pot, spilling the contents on the team and surrounding people. The background is that is a celebration of Krishna, as a child, stole some of the honey and butter that was being exported away, none being left for the towns people. The moral is to not forget to partake in the sweet things in life.
It was a WONDERFUL first Indian festival experience for me. The teams were BEYOND excited to see us there, I took so many photos and had so many taken of me as well. The crowds were fun, polite, energetic, and eager to talk to us and make sure we were loving Mumbai. I have to admit I was a little concerned about the "grabbing" possibility, as I've been told that especially blonds tend to get either the front or back side grabbed by these rowdy groups of boys, but, not a single hand or pinching. Just amazingly fun exchanges between so many different groups of people. We saw 6 or so pyramids go up, and myself and two other girlfriends from ASB and I were invited to help in the girls pyramid we saw (totally amazing- the girl made it to the top, broke the pot and we were showered with the contents. No words to describe the exhilaration). The last, and largest group we saw, the boy cracked the pot, but then the men below him started to fall, and hung there, 4 stories high for about 30 seconds while they reestablished the pyramid to catch him. No one around us seemed worried at all, they just cheered him on louder, and of course, it was fine. Craziness.
I could go on forever, and I'm sure Reid will have a few of his own personal moments to share. The pictures really tell more...
Rachel
Not to turn into a total teen, but, O... M.... G..... All I can say is, if my mother had been here she would have been a little nervous watching those little kids climb to the top! The long of the short of it is, teams from all around the city travel from spot to spot, trying to earn prize money (or just some glory). The goal is to reach a very high clay pot that is filled with gee (clarified butter) and honey, as well as marigolds and other special things, and the top person is to break the pot, spilling the contents on the team and surrounding people. The background is that is a celebration of Krishna, as a child, stole some of the honey and butter that was being exported away, none being left for the towns people. The moral is to not forget to partake in the sweet things in life.
It was a WONDERFUL first Indian festival experience for me. The teams were BEYOND excited to see us there, I took so many photos and had so many taken of me as well. The crowds were fun, polite, energetic, and eager to talk to us and make sure we were loving Mumbai. I have to admit I was a little concerned about the "grabbing" possibility, as I've been told that especially blonds tend to get either the front or back side grabbed by these rowdy groups of boys, but, not a single hand or pinching. Just amazingly fun exchanges between so many different groups of people. We saw 6 or so pyramids go up, and myself and two other girlfriends from ASB and I were invited to help in the girls pyramid we saw (totally amazing- the girl made it to the top, broke the pot and we were showered with the contents. No words to describe the exhilaration). The last, and largest group we saw, the boy cracked the pot, but then the men below him started to fall, and hung there, 4 stories high for about 30 seconds while they reestablished the pyramid to catch him. No one around us seemed worried at all, they just cheered him on louder, and of course, it was fine. Craziness.
I could go on forever, and I'm sure Reid will have a few of his own personal moments to share. The pictures really tell more...
Rachel
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Now I know what a "Monsoon" is
So let's get something straight before I continue on about the trials and tribulations of the monsoon rains ...
The people of Pakistan have it WAY worse than we do right now. Some estimates are saying that as much as 25% of the country is under water. Just think about that for a minute: that's like every state that borders the Mississippi to be flooded -- not just Fargo and Iowa City. But I digress.
Back to Mumbai monsoons... It started raining really heavily late this past Saturday night and as of this afternoon (Tuesday) it has not let up. Sure it lets up now and then, giving way to a lesser, more gentler rain, but in general the rain is hard. How hard you might ask?
~ So hard that in combination with the wind, the rain blows into the atrium at school causing large puddles to form in the atrium/cafeteria. The direct result of this is that students going to elementary music class slip and slide on the wet marble...
~ So hard that our outdoor pool was overflowing...
~ So hard that during band rehearsal while the band is playing we can hear the rain on the roof...
~ So hard that small cars get stuck in enormous potholes that, since they are filled with water, cannot be seen
~ So hard that our satellite tv gets dropped due to "Heavy Monsoon Rain"
Basically, after living in India once before, I THOUGHT I knew what a monsoon really was. Now I know what a monsoon is.
~ Reid
The people of Pakistan have it WAY worse than we do right now. Some estimates are saying that as much as 25% of the country is under water. Just think about that for a minute: that's like every state that borders the Mississippi to be flooded -- not just Fargo and Iowa City. But I digress.
Back to Mumbai monsoons... It started raining really heavily late this past Saturday night and as of this afternoon (Tuesday) it has not let up. Sure it lets up now and then, giving way to a lesser, more gentler rain, but in general the rain is hard. How hard you might ask?
~ So hard that in combination with the wind, the rain blows into the atrium at school causing large puddles to form in the atrium/cafeteria. The direct result of this is that students going to elementary music class slip and slide on the wet marble...
~ So hard that our outdoor pool was overflowing...
~ So hard that during band rehearsal while the band is playing we can hear the rain on the roof...
~ So hard that small cars get stuck in enormous potholes that, since they are filled with water, cannot be seen
~ So hard that our satellite tv gets dropped due to "Heavy Monsoon Rain"
Basically, after living in India once before, I THOUGHT I knew what a monsoon really was. Now I know what a monsoon is.
~ Reid
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Not in Kansas Anymore
So, this little ditty is about our fire drill this week. I have not really ever enjoyed fire drills. They disrupt the little time I get with students, the kids are always super crazy afterwords, and no matter how much you prepare them, there's always an amount of screaming, chatting, and general managed chaos that goes on leaving the building, standing outside, and then the coming back into the building is often even worse.
I had one of my 3rd grade classes only a few minutes before the bell was to go off. I barely had time to explain what I expected, and no time to practice any of the steps. Now, I am loving these 3rd graders but they are a more wily group and I was preparing to "put on my mean face" to get them in line.
And then the alarm rang. Without being prompted, my THIRD GRADERS got up, walked silently to the door, and lined up by row (we were scattered about the room to begin with). My teaching partner led them out through the atrium as I placed the "evacuated" sign on the door. They followed him in silence, in a perfect single file line, all the way around to the other side of the school, past the pool and playground, out to the tennis courts where the whole school gathers. I watched them in a little bit of awe and noticed that the ENTIRE student and faculty body was doing the same. Silence. Walking there, waiting in our designated spots around the court, each child in the front of the line holding their class's green flag high. The only soft talking to be heard came from the security and admin staff that were moving about checking on the status of the drill. And then, back we all went, in equal amount of seriousness. And then class went on as if nothing was different.
On the ride home that day I wondered to myself. Now, these are "good" kids, but, I've found that they have needed structure, modeling, and reminding/taking of breaks as any stereotypical suburban school in the Twin Cities. What is it about this place/this experience that makes them "get it" when it comes to emergencies? Do they realize on some level that living abroad and going to an American school can be thought of as a potential terrorist target? Have they been in an emergency situation before somewhere in the world? So many of our kids have grown up in 2, 3, even as many as 5 or 6 different countries. Maybe it's just they are more ready to be serious about anything, whether it's learning in the classroom or practicing a fire drill. I'm probably wondering about this way too much.
Regardless, it was clear that the kids weren't silent because they knew they had to be or they'd get in trouble. They were silent not because they were told to be, but because they not only knew, but understood, it was important.
I had one of my 3rd grade classes only a few minutes before the bell was to go off. I barely had time to explain what I expected, and no time to practice any of the steps. Now, I am loving these 3rd graders but they are a more wily group and I was preparing to "put on my mean face" to get them in line.
And then the alarm rang. Without being prompted, my THIRD GRADERS got up, walked silently to the door, and lined up by row (we were scattered about the room to begin with). My teaching partner led them out through the atrium as I placed the "evacuated" sign on the door. They followed him in silence, in a perfect single file line, all the way around to the other side of the school, past the pool and playground, out to the tennis courts where the whole school gathers. I watched them in a little bit of awe and noticed that the ENTIRE student and faculty body was doing the same. Silence. Walking there, waiting in our designated spots around the court, each child in the front of the line holding their class's green flag high. The only soft talking to be heard came from the security and admin staff that were moving about checking on the status of the drill. And then, back we all went, in equal amount of seriousness. And then class went on as if nothing was different.
On the ride home that day I wondered to myself. Now, these are "good" kids, but, I've found that they have needed structure, modeling, and reminding/taking of breaks as any stereotypical suburban school in the Twin Cities. What is it about this place/this experience that makes them "get it" when it comes to emergencies? Do they realize on some level that living abroad and going to an American school can be thought of as a potential terrorist target? Have they been in an emergency situation before somewhere in the world? So many of our kids have grown up in 2, 3, even as many as 5 or 6 different countries. Maybe it's just they are more ready to be serious about anything, whether it's learning in the classroom or practicing a fire drill. I'm probably wondering about this way too much.
Regardless, it was clear that the kids weren't silent because they knew they had to be or they'd get in trouble. They were silent not because they were told to be, but because they not only knew, but understood, it was important.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Schmoozing and Cruising
Friday night we went to the annual ASB Board of Trustees welcome dinner. I have to admit I was a bit nervous to meet some of these parents- they have lead such different lives than I have ever even thought of. But, we were immediately greeted by the president, by name, and welcomed. After that, any new parent or other board member we met were so excited to get to know us and offer help or advice. We chatted with one very kind band parent who has a place/office in Turkey, Dublin, and India, and travels between all three for the oil company he works for. It was a much larger event than I had expected, and at a rather fancy place (complete with many waiters constantly offering you appetizers and filling up your wine glass before you even had a chance to say no thank you). We were officially welcomed with a small ceremony complete with garlands. There were a few jokes about PTA functions in the US vs. here in India... no need to say more!
Saturday we traveled to a hill station town south of Mumbai, in Lonavla, for the annual welcome back ASB staff picnic. It was absolutely beautiful, but, the travel time ended up doubling because of issues with our bus and getting down the street to the actual house and well... as they say... "welcome to India". What was supposedly a 2hour trip turned into 4, 4 hours of relaxing, a small hike, tasty food, and then another 3 or so hour trip back home, made for a long day, but worth it to get out of the city for some fresh air, greenery, and a break from the general nonstop busy life, sounds, and smells that is Mumbai. It was a bit rainy so we only took a few pictures, but, enjoy!
We both have curriculum nights coming up in the next week so we will be busy introducing ourselves to more parents. Somehow I've managed to fill up all that prep time I have already, but, still feel extremely happy about the teaching situation.
Much love!
Saturday we traveled to a hill station town south of Mumbai, in Lonavla, for the annual welcome back ASB staff picnic. It was absolutely beautiful, but, the travel time ended up doubling because of issues with our bus and getting down the street to the actual house and well... as they say... "welcome to India". What was supposedly a 2hour trip turned into 4, 4 hours of relaxing, a small hike, tasty food, and then another 3 or so hour trip back home, made for a long day, but worth it to get out of the city for some fresh air, greenery, and a break from the general nonstop busy life, sounds, and smells that is Mumbai. It was a bit rainy so we only took a few pictures, but, enjoy!
We both have curriculum nights coming up in the next week so we will be busy introducing ourselves to more parents. Somehow I've managed to fill up all that prep time I have already, but, still feel extremely happy about the teaching situation.
Much love!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A Glimpse of life downtown
First of all, Happy Independence Day India and Pakistan! So far, the day has been mostly all about flags of all sizes and materials and closed businesses. We haven't seen any Fourth of July-Style barbecues or parades, but have seen lots of families and groups of guys out walking.
We spent the day with our first adventure to downtown Mumbai with three friends. To get there, we took the commuter train, which after spending a bit of time talking to locals was really easy and fast -- 15min! Remember, on the first day when we had to go to the Foreign Registration Office we drove and it took 45min. The train trip down was easy and very uncrowded by Indian standards and we got off at Chowpatty Beach on the famous Marine Drive. Across the train station was a beautiful oval shaped bay surrounded by high rise apartments and lots of soft sand (and just a bit of garbage). We enjoyed walking along the sidewalk in the bright hot sun.
After the beach we explored the market areas. Since it was Independence Day, most were closed, which was actually good because that cut down on the crowds. The markets were huge and sold everything from watermelons to European chocolates to puppies (clean and well-cared for puppies by the way). As we meandered through the market our senses were assaulted by crazy-intense smells -- both good and bad. One astounding part of the market was the sheer number of stalls selling the exact same thing.
We then made our way down to the famous Gateway of India and the Taj Hotel, site of the 11-26 terrorists attacks. Since moving to Mumbai, this was the first time we really felt like tourists and we were approached by many touts selling postcards and ferry tickets. A highlight for me was getting approached by a salesman asking: "You have beard, you want weed?" After declining smoothly, I reflected on the general impression my beard has as this was the third time I'd been approached to buy drugs -- no other new teachers have been approached. Maybe I'll shave this week. Rachel and Twyla were approached many times to have their picture taken (being blond and white makes you essentially a rock star).
After a very pleasant lunch, we walked to Churchgate train station, which took us through a multitude of British-era colonial buildings. The architecture was amazing. The design blends formal colonial styles with Indian elements. We'll post pictures later for you to see. This part of the trip was my personal highlight.
The train back was very crowded. Rachel and Twyla took the "Ladies-only" car while Tom, Greg and I hacked it out in regular second class. The masses boarded and deboarded like an ocean wave at a few of the stations and we had to hold steady to keep our coveted spots near the door. Again, the train got us home so quickly, but the return trip was way more intense. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like on a Monday morning during rush hour.
We've had to spend some time shopping for clothes as our shipment has been delayed due to a shipwreck in the harbor. I had two pairs of pants tailored as well as buying four Indian-style shirts, which will actually be way more comfortable than any Western shirts. Rachel hasn't had anything tailored yet, but has found girlfriends to go clothes shopping with and been very happy. Our apartment continues to collect household items as it slowly creeps towards feeling like home (emphasis on slowly). It will be very exciting to get our shipment, but with the accident and ensuing oil spill, there is no time frame for getting it in so we wait, we adjust and most of all, we remember that we are so fortunate with what we have as so many around us have so little.
TEACHING- our first couple days of teaching went very well. We are both amazed at the amount of prep time and support we have. Rachel is excited to actually have the kind of time to really prepare quality visuals with the technology piece and make all those Kodaly and Orff materials she learned about at St. Thomas. The students are fun and have a high level of skills, but, it's hard to put into words the difference- it also seems that they are used to doing whatever they want (but not in a snotty way or anything). I think as we get to know the students more and build relationships, we will have much more to say. We are both very thrilled with our teaching partners- very helpful, welcoming, and fun to work with. We're socializing with the staff and feeling more and more like we are a part of this crazy city of Mumbai.
Love to all!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
India's New Anthem
This was shown at our all staff orientation- a good commentary on how chaotic this place can be, but also how the seemingly impossible, is possible through the people.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sending Mail
Hello,
Just a quick note for all you care-package types. Please send any packages directly to our school address in India. However, there are no guarantees that it will arrive in one piece or on time. Our school address is:
Reid and Rachel Wixson
c/o American School of Bombay
SF2, G Block - Bandra Kurla Complex
Bandra East, Mumbai 400 098
INDIA
If you have letters or postcards, you can mail them to the White Bear Lake address (listed in an earlier blog posting).
Take care!
Just a quick note for all you care-package types. Please send any packages directly to our school address in India. However, there are no guarantees that it will arrive in one piece or on time. Our school address is:
Reid and Rachel Wixson
c/o American School of Bombay
SF2, G Block - Bandra Kurla Complex
Bandra East, Mumbai 400 098
INDIA
If you have letters or postcards, you can mail them to the White Bear Lake address (listed in an earlier blog posting).
Take care!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
First Impressions
As I write this on our balcony, it is 9pm on Tuesday evening here in Mumbai, or more specifically, our suburb Bandra West. Although the sun has set nearly two hours ago, the clouds in the sky reflect the incredible amount of light pollution given off of this amazingly enormous city that never sleeps. From our balcony we have a great view of the neighborhood (see attached picassa album). To the east and west we have large apartment buildings and to the south we have a glimpse of the Mumbai skyline -- probably only 2% as the skyline continues on for miles to the south. Coconut trees wave in the wind, birds fly over head -- mostly crows, but sometimes herons and today I even saw a parakeet -- and we are virtually isolated from the city.
The one exception to our isolation is the street noise. Unlike American drivers, Mumbaikers (pronounced Mum-bikers) use their horn to alert the driver in front of them to their presence. A few short taps on the horn means "just to remind you, my car is right behind you." A few longer horn notes means "keep me in mind as you turn left in front of me." The vast majority of horn uses are happy exchanges between people. Every once in awhile someone gets mad and lays on the horn, but this is really rare. Since the city never seems to take a break, ear plugs are definitely a must for light Western sleepers such as ourselves!
One piece of conversation that always comes up with us is the amazing contrasts you see all over. For example, on the commute to school we drive along a creek that flows into the ocean. On the other side of the creek sits one of the major slums in the city (not Dharavi for those of you who watched the documentary "Slumming In") and alongside our side of the creek sits some of the most expensive real estate in the entire world. Across the street from our school Bharat diamonds is building a trading hub that will employ 60,000 people, next door to that is the American Consulate under construction, and up the street is the Asian Heart Institute, highly regarded as one of the world's top cardiac hospitals. And all of this literally right next to a slum. It's quite overwhelming as you think about it and really puts you in your place. Interactions like these happen all the time here.
It has been great to really get to know the other new staff and the administrators, who have done everything possible to make our transition run smoothly. Workshops and discussions about culture shock, medical adjustments, the unique school culture, "third-culture students," technology integration in the classroom, and educational philosophy have been both inspiring and interesting. While Rachel's room is still going through some last minute cleaning and updating, I have spent some time in the band room and tried to do some organizing, make it more space-efficient, and tidy up the music library. The familiar routine of getting ready for the school is an odd parallel to our unfamiliar new lives in Mumbai and while it is comfortable to get down to work, I feel like exploring the city more. We'll have a lot of time this weekend for that.
With that I will sign off and post. We have enjoyed reading comments and so please keep them coming. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Take care and root for the Twins!
~ Reid
The one exception to our isolation is the street noise. Unlike American drivers, Mumbaikers (pronounced Mum-bikers) use their horn to alert the driver in front of them to their presence. A few short taps on the horn means "just to remind you, my car is right behind you." A few longer horn notes means "keep me in mind as you turn left in front of me." The vast majority of horn uses are happy exchanges between people. Every once in awhile someone gets mad and lays on the horn, but this is really rare. Since the city never seems to take a break, ear plugs are definitely a must for light Western sleepers such as ourselves!
One piece of conversation that always comes up with us is the amazing contrasts you see all over. For example, on the commute to school we drive along a creek that flows into the ocean. On the other side of the creek sits one of the major slums in the city (not Dharavi for those of you who watched the documentary "Slumming In") and alongside our side of the creek sits some of the most expensive real estate in the entire world. Across the street from our school Bharat diamonds is building a trading hub that will employ 60,000 people, next door to that is the American Consulate under construction, and up the street is the Asian Heart Institute, highly regarded as one of the world's top cardiac hospitals. And all of this literally right next to a slum. It's quite overwhelming as you think about it and really puts you in your place. Interactions like these happen all the time here.
It has been great to really get to know the other new staff and the administrators, who have done everything possible to make our transition run smoothly. Workshops and discussions about culture shock, medical adjustments, the unique school culture, "third-culture students," technology integration in the classroom, and educational philosophy have been both inspiring and interesting. While Rachel's room is still going through some last minute cleaning and updating, I have spent some time in the band room and tried to do some organizing, make it more space-efficient, and tidy up the music library. The familiar routine of getting ready for the school is an odd parallel to our unfamiliar new lives in Mumbai and while it is comfortable to get down to work, I feel like exploring the city more. We'll have a lot of time this weekend for that.
With that I will sign off and post. We have enjoyed reading comments and so please keep them coming. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Take care and root for the Twins!
~ Reid
Friday, July 30, 2010
Everything You've Ever Heard About India.... Is True
That was the statement at an orientation today from our superintendent that really seems to sum this crazy chaotic and amazing place up. There is a new truth every time you turn around. I've seen videos and heard about things like the traffic, weather, etc... but it is definitely something else to experience it! One minute we're flying high on something and the next it's overwhelming and confusing. The one constant though is the support from the school and the feeling of having a "safety net" if we need it!
The flight over was actually pretty painless. For sure it was long and we only got about 2 hours of rest (I do not say sleep here) out of the total 28 hours or so of travel, but, it went by faster than expected. We met most of the new ASB crew in Newark, the rest in Brussels where we had a connecting flight. The administrators and other staff were at the airport to meet us, take us to our apartments.
PS- our apartment is quite spectacular. We didn't know what to expect, but, we definitely did not expect being on the 6th floor and having a HUGE terrace, already stocked with plants. Two bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, nice kitchen, dining room, office, living room.... so, plenty of space for those of you thinking of coming to visit!!
And it's been nonstop going ever since we landed (as I write that I realize that it's actually only been two days.... it feels like weeks!). Thursday morning we had an introductory orientation with the whole staff. We all needed to get registered with the Indian government and Reid and I were in the first group to go. As they warned us, it was a chance to experience the bureaucratic side of India... it was kind of like going to the DMV, only more lines, more back and forth waiting, and not really sure what was happening. But, we are officially registered residents of Mumbai.
We were immediately put into all sorts of tech training. We have tablet PC's and everything is paperless here, even student work. So much info has been thrown at us that we have to keep checking in with each other to make sure we're where we need to be when and how to do the things we were "trained" on.
The other time has been filled with either group meals all hosted by the school and a couple shopping trips (the apartments have some things, but still need lots of odds and ends as well as day to day things. We now have Indian cell phones! Reid is really excited about his Bollywood ringtone.
I feel like there is so much to say. It's like a whole new life has been created for us today- new bank accounts, cell phones, computers, hiring household help, meeting with the school doctor, talking with customs about shipments... oh, and getting over jetlag!
But, we can already tell that this is going to be an amazing school. Well, and our superintendant today informed us that ASB is now the most expensive American international school in the WORLD, so, we are expected to be "AMAZING" teachers (no pressure!!) So, keep tuned on all of our supposed amazingness that is to come, whether at school or on our personal adventures. Love to you all. We miss you and we will keep in touch!
Rachel
The flight over was actually pretty painless. For sure it was long and we only got about 2 hours of rest (I do not say sleep here) out of the total 28 hours or so of travel, but, it went by faster than expected. We met most of the new ASB crew in Newark, the rest in Brussels where we had a connecting flight. The administrators and other staff were at the airport to meet us, take us to our apartments.
PS- our apartment is quite spectacular. We didn't know what to expect, but, we definitely did not expect being on the 6th floor and having a HUGE terrace, already stocked with plants. Two bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, nice kitchen, dining room, office, living room.... so, plenty of space for those of you thinking of coming to visit!!
And it's been nonstop going ever since we landed (as I write that I realize that it's actually only been two days.... it feels like weeks!). Thursday morning we had an introductory orientation with the whole staff. We all needed to get registered with the Indian government and Reid and I were in the first group to go. As they warned us, it was a chance to experience the bureaucratic side of India... it was kind of like going to the DMV, only more lines, more back and forth waiting, and not really sure what was happening. But, we are officially registered residents of Mumbai.
We were immediately put into all sorts of tech training. We have tablet PC's and everything is paperless here, even student work. So much info has been thrown at us that we have to keep checking in with each other to make sure we're where we need to be when and how to do the things we were "trained" on.
The other time has been filled with either group meals all hosted by the school and a couple shopping trips (the apartments have some things, but still need lots of odds and ends as well as day to day things. We now have Indian cell phones! Reid is really excited about his Bollywood ringtone.
I feel like there is so much to say. It's like a whole new life has been created for us today- new bank accounts, cell phones, computers, hiring household help, meeting with the school doctor, talking with customs about shipments... oh, and getting over jetlag!
But, we can already tell that this is going to be an amazing school. Well, and our superintendant today informed us that ASB is now the most expensive American international school in the WORLD, so, we are expected to be "AMAZING" teachers (no pressure!!) So, keep tuned on all of our supposed amazingness that is to come, whether at school or on our personal adventures. Love to you all. We miss you and we will keep in touch!
Rachel
Friday, July 23, 2010
Neighborhood View
According to Google Maps, our apartment is somewhere in the middle left of this picture. We're excited that there are lots of trees and that the Arabian Sea is close by. We'll have our own pictures up next week when we arrive. Take care, RW
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Final Preparations!
Greetings!
A pieces of information on our upcoming move.
First -- we are flying out on Tuesday July 27th and arriving in Mumbai the next day around midnight. We have layovers in Newark and Brussels to break up the trip a bit. Belgium waffles for breakfast?
Second -- change of address. If you send us mail (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) you don't have to address it to India and pay for international postage rates. Instead, our school has a PO Box here in the Twin Cities that collects mail for employees. Our new address is:
Reid and Rachel Wixson
4707 Hwy. 61
ASB-Suite 261
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Third -- we will be living on the sixth floor in the Silver Springs Apartments located in Bandra West, a northern suburb of Mumbai. Those of you who are google-savy can look that up on the web to see the building and the neighborhood.
Take care,
Reid
A pieces of information on our upcoming move.
First -- we are flying out on Tuesday July 27th and arriving in Mumbai the next day around midnight. We have layovers in Newark and Brussels to break up the trip a bit. Belgium waffles for breakfast?
Second -- change of address. If you send us mail (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) you don't have to address it to India and pay for international postage rates. Instead, our school has a PO Box here in the Twin Cities that collects mail for employees. Our new address is:
Reid and Rachel Wixson
4707 Hwy. 61
ASB-Suite 261
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Third -- we will be living on the sixth floor in the Silver Springs Apartments located in Bandra West, a northern suburb of Mumbai. Those of you who are google-savy can look that up on the web to see the building and the neighborhood.
Take care,
Reid
Monday, June 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Welcome to our (first) Blog!
Greetings friends and family,
You have found our India blog, congrats! No -- we haven't moved yet, we are just getting this set up in advance. Our official move date is not until July 27th.
If you are interested in learning more about the American School of Bombay, you can visit the website at asbindia.org. We are very excited to be joining such a committed group of students, educators, and administrators and we are looking forward to meeting them in person.
Check back in August to read about our move and see pictures of our new home in Mumbai. If you'd like to be emailed every time we update this blog or post pictures, click on "Subscribe" in the lower left-hand corner and follow the directions from there.
Take care,
Reid and Rachel
You have found our India blog, congrats! No -- we haven't moved yet, we are just getting this set up in advance. Our official move date is not until July 27th.
If you are interested in learning more about the American School of Bombay, you can visit the website at asbindia.org. We are very excited to be joining such a committed group of students, educators, and administrators and we are looking forward to meeting them in person.
Check back in August to read about our move and see pictures of our new home in Mumbai. If you'd like to be emailed every time we update this blog or post pictures, click on "Subscribe" in the lower left-hand corner and follow the directions from there.
Take care,
Reid and Rachel
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