Here are some pictures from our wonderful trip to Kerela! We all loved the elephants and we are currently working on posting the videos of their dance. BTW all of the photos posted so far are courtesy of photographer Ms P (propz)
James
‘In India being in a hurry is foolish and deluded – and often bad manners.” (Excerpt from Paul Theroux, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Each year that I have had the privilege to co chaperon this trip, I’ve made an effort to bring along novels and books that are set here in India. Today I hit the quote above and it struck a chord. On the York India trip we have a saying, ‘hurry up and wait’… We do everything we can to set things up with organized itineraries and schedules but there are always unforeseen changes and glitches; drivers who get lost, places that used to be ‘right here’ but seem to have vanished, power failures, cheerful statements of the obvious – ‘he is not come’ – crowds and traffic everywhere… We have had a very full week and a bit here and I think I’m safe in saying that we are all having the time of our lives. Yesterday we enjoyed a gloriously lazy day drifting around the backwaters of Kerala. Dmitri Rick and James had a ‘big day out’ as they set off in search of a music shop that sold sitars. (Mission accomplished!) We’ve all honed our haggling skills and have all kinds of beautiful Indian crafts and spices to pack for home. The walls of the new special care unit for babies at FFC are painted, murals have been designed, the footings for the GPS playground are (hopefully) bring poured in the ten 2 X 2 X 1 holes we smashed out last week, 400 kg. of donated goods from the York community have been distributed and we still have over a week to go! We’re all staying healthy and safe. We’re presently enjoying our last evening at Cherai Beach before we head back to Podanur and Chetipalayam for more service projects at FFC and GPS. Thanks for looking in on the blog and best wishes. JB.
PS. Happy Birthday Ms. B!
Hi Everyone, Here are some photos to accompany yesterday’s blog post. Hope you enjoy!
-Jack
Hey everyone,
Today was another eventful day in Podanur, India! After the slightly repetitive (but still delicious) breakfast, the FFC group split ourselves up to do some painting. Dani, Kascha and Kathryn set out to finish their mural in the special care building while the other group finished painting the new baby room that we had started with Chinmaya.
The completion of the mural in the special care building marked the end of an eye opening experience. We were asked to paint the mural in the “play room” because any attempts to decorate result in posters being ripped off the walls. The Aya’s appreciation for our work was evident right from the first day of painting. Those who live at special care suffer from severe mental and physical handicaps and seeing the lack of one-on-one attention they receive and the little they have can be difficult to bear. Moreover, painting was a challenge with girls clambering on us and trying – without success – to communicate. Still, we take comfort in knowing that they are well cared for and will always have a place at FFC.
Meanwhile, the rest of the FFC crew was hard at work in the new baby room. Yesterday’s baby room painters had finished all the easy parts and left only corners and hard to reach places. We set to work on ladders and ledges going where no group had painted before. The pre-selected colours for the room were wild purple and wild lilac, which is pretty much just dark and light purple. Halfway through, some of the little girls helped out and started a mini dance party. The room turned out great. The only problem was that no amount of turpentine could remove the paint stains from the floor (not to mention from the crevices behind our ears!).
The team washed up and met just in time for lunch which, again, was slightly repetitive (but still delicious). (The three of us all just laughed pretty hard at our own witty humour…lol). After lunch, we started a game of Koob with the Koob set that had mysteriously vanished last year. Despite the two years the girls went without practice, they still destroyed us (a.k.a. “Shiva’d” us – for those of you not familiar with Hindu mythology, Shiva is the destroyer).
After a short and laundry filled rest hour, the FFC gang hopped on a bus to meet the GPS gang for a tour of the settlements near the Global Pathways School. The settlement communities are small neighbourhoods in which Indians who were displaced by the government reside. In the efforts of building new condominiums near the city of Coimbatore, many were left displaced far from the city and no longer able to work or find jobs. While the newer of the settlements had the luxury of electricity and running water after demanding more from the government, the families in the remaining settlements live without clean water or electricity. Regardless, every settlement comprised of 9 ft by 9 ft shacks and housed full families, many of which were uneducated and malnourished. However, we see new hope for the children we befriended today thanks to the work of GPS.
Tomorrow we head out on a five hour bus ride to Kerala (cross your fingers that the air conditioning will work). The blackout at midnight last night reminded us that it is the perfect time for a little vacation. We hope to have many new experiences while we’re there and we will report them all back to you.
Love,
Dani, Kascha and Jack
Answer: 9 students, 3 teachers and half a village. Today represented the 5th and hopefully, final day of digging the foundation for the GPS playground. In a final push, 4 York boys including ourselves (Aidan and James) and 5 Chinmaya boys sacrificed several layers of skin on their hands for the sake of the jungle gym. Despite the 17 blisters counted on my (James’) hands, we conquered the rock and completed all 10 holes. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the day was seeing the reactions of the Chinmaya students and teachers alike to the poverty that exists in their own country. For many this was an eye-opener as their boarding school limits their access to many of their surroundings. We were rewarded for our hard work by Ms P treating us all to ice cream!
Upon arriving at FFC we shared yet another meal with our chums from Chinmaya to hear about how about the tasks that the other students had performed throughout the morning. We were entertained by their stories of moving rubble at FFC and painting a room at the Special Care Unit. We then had the pleasure of sharing our experiences so far here at FFC with the Chinmaya students, as they joined us in playing with the kids for over an hour (loads of fun!)
The fun didn’t stop there however, as we were all scheduled to compete in a football (soccer) match against the older boys of FFC. Although we were all sore and exhausted, both teams took the field with smiles on their faces. With the help of the Chinmaya students, the York India Trip came out on top with a final score of 3-1! The first time in trip history that York emerged victorious. The smiles we all brought onto to the field were still visible immediately afterwards as the FFC sportsmaster (a title soon to be adopted by Mr D) invited us to a match of cricket. By then our energy was near zero and we graciously declined.
Barely able to stand, we made our goodbyes with our new friends from Chinmaya and returned to our apartment for some much deserved showers and naps. This was just another action packed day here in India and despite the fun we are having, we miss you all!
P.S Shout out to Mr Youssef for your impeccable football coaching as the York team carried most of the load scoring the first 2 goals of the game!
Stay classy Coimbatore!
Aidan & James
Hey everyone, It’s Ms. Faba and Dmitri here. Since the last post a lot of new and interseting things have happened. And we’re going to tell you all about them! Much more progress has been made on the holes. The purchase of a sledgehammer was definitely crucial in continuing to dig beyond the endless amount of rocks. Everyone has put a lot of sweat and labour in to this project and it’s nice to see it slowly develop into the final goal.
Today we bid our goodbyes to the kids of Chinmaya school. It’s funny the way the stress of IB brings people together — although we had spent a miniscule amount of time with them we seemed to get along very well and enjoy each others company and anecdotes of different lifestyles. They arrived at the FFC orphanage this morning at 10 AM and we all got right to work, some digging holes at the settlement, others moving rubble around the orphanage and another group being put through the physically demanding and strenuous task of painting the future room for the special care unit at FFC. York School tells us ‘experience teaches’, well I’m sure we all learned that cleaning paint off with turpantine is not the most leisurely of activities. One girl from the chinmaya school decided to rub the paint on her cheeks and face — in between those cheeks was a great big frown when she had to drench her face in the foul chemical smelling liquid! After a morning of work it was time for lunch. An article of the colliding worlds of the two schools is in production and is looking like it has a future in an IB magazine. During the lunch we discovered the innate ability of Gym Master D to drop rhymes like he was a rad MC…Many competitors, D, Campbell, Aidan and myself (Dmitri) have been honing their skills to compete in the culminating rap battle that looms in the future of the trip. After a solid lunch of spitting rhymes and supplying beats it was time to play with the kids. We played Soccer for roughly an hour with some of the FFC kids. Even though we surpassed them in age, it truly felt like we were playing against TFC. Rather — that’s an understatement, these kids probably could teach them a lesson or two. With a strong team effort on the IB student team we pulled through and managed to beat them 2-1, however, they had many shots that missed by an inch or maybe less.
Just being here it is amazing the generosity and amiableness among the people compared to Toronto citizens. One of the first nights out myself, Aidan and Mike scouted out a STD to phone home. (I’m sure someone has clarified or made a joke already but in case you guys don’t know an STD is what we use to call home, not a sexually transmitted disease…don’t worry parents! we’re all good) AS we sat there listening to Aidan manage to string together words in the hot booth that probably would have given him heat stroke if he didn’t finally say his goodbye’s the vendor offered us some Chai Tea. I think that Mike and I can definitely agree that it was delicious and we were definitely touched by the act in itself.
P.S. Mom, I know you’re keen on me writing on the journal, but it’s ok. Everyone has loads of pictures and we have video so you can’t relax a little bit! Love your son.
Hi! Miss Faba here!
Life in Chettipalayam moves at a slow, meandering pace compared to Podanur. I say this sarcastically because Podanur has two main roads, where Chettipalayam has one. Chettipalayam, does have a country village feel; there are only a few stores to purchase household items or fruit and our little ‘cottage’ is tucked back in the winding streets of whitewashed concrete homes with tiled roofs. Every day as we leave or return, we are greeted by a rush of the same village kids who wave and squeal enthusiastically. We can’t communicate with them verbally, so we shake their hands over and over and that seems to be enough! On our way to use the computers to write this blog entry, Dmitri and I stopped to do this ritual and asked the names of these kids. We gathered that the two girls were named Malalacomli and Malai and the boy is named Kuti. Remembering names here is somewhat of a struggle for us all as it’s hard to make an English connection to these sounds so as to record them to memory. We’re working on it and writing them down when we can because remembering a name has been a small but meaningful way to connect with the people we meet.
GPS is a beautifully organized school. From my experience as a teacher, I can see that these little children are motivated and engaged. There is a kindergarten class and a grade one class and learning is done in a Montessori style, where activities help to enforce skills and understanding. These classrooms would keep any child engaged, but I have to remind myself that 75% of these little kids come from the settlement where an education like this would never be available. We have spent two days coming into the classroom to play and read and sing songs. They are studying transportation in both classes so when we were asked to spend some time with the group we decided to sing “The Wheels on the Bus” and then to break off into groups to read from some transportation books. We thought this was a brilliant plan! When we started to sing the song, the little kids jumped right in singing every verse and even teaching us a couple new ones! It was a pleasant shock.
Our experience in the settlement continues to have a deep impact on us all. Driving up to the settlement each day, it is hard to imagine that these rows of 9 by 9 brick and tin shacks are considered government housing. To get water requires a daily journey for their ration at a nearby tank and electricity is sparse. Washrooms by any standard are non-existent. The people who greet us at the holes everyday are happy and welcoming and helpful! Especially our friend Dana, a big strong woman, with a personality larger than she is, who from day one was the first out of anyone in the settlement to jump in and lend a hand! And we needed it – because without any power tools to break up the rocks, we are reliant on the muscle power of our crew and the know-how of Dana and her friends. We have met another friend, Theresa, who has an 11 year old boy, Agit, who has also pitched in every day that we have visited. Theresa invited Bridgette, Emma and I to her home to have tea on our last visit. We entered the tiny hut that consisted of two rooms separated by a partition; one for sleeping and one for eating. She showed us pictures of her life growing up in the hills of Ooty and we couldn’t help to wonder how she ended up in the settlement. What we always see in Theresa though is her kind spirit and her pride in her two smart and polite little boys.
Every day is full of learning experience after learning experience and too many inspiring moments to write down. I am blessed to be on this trip, to lead 14 mature, funny and talented students, and to be so close to a culture that once seemed so far away.
I just want to say hi to everyone I love back home and to tell the parents your kids are all doing great and are making you all very proud.
Ms. Faba : )
Here are some more photos from our last few days here at FFC. Unfortunately the internet is not capable of uploading the many videos we have taken. As well, it is TOTALLY down at GPS which has left them unable to post whatsoever. Hope you are enjoying the posts!
Jack & James
Dear India Trip parents, friends and fans,
A quick note regarding leaving comments on this blog. When you submit a comment on this blog (or on any blog for that matter) your comment goes into a “queue for moderation”. As we have made the students and trip leaders the administrators of this blog one of their responsibilities is to manually approve each comment before it goes “live”. A small security measure to avoid spam and inappropriate content. Since there is such a big time difference between Toronto and India your comments are not usually moderated until the students wake the following day which accounts for the observed delay in publishing. Rest assured your comments are quite safe and the system is working fine.
Please continue to leave comments often as the students LOVE getting them and reading them.
As an interesting aside, this blog has now has quite the global audience. Check out the visitors stats from the last year.
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Justin Medved
India Trip Tech Advisor
Hello, I just wanted to say a few words, before I head back to the canteen to learn how to make chapatti from the canteen ladies. The York Students have been such amazing super stars on this trip. The enthusiasm, excitment and pure enjoyment to try new things has been fantastic. When asked what they would like to accomplish in the coming days, they say they want to try everything. The students are taking the initiative on their own with little guidance from the teachers. The pounding of rocks to create holes deep enough to lay a foundation for a new playground in a settlement, to creating murals on walls for the people in special care, helping catalogue books in the library, playing with the children learning new dance moves from the dance master…..the list goes on and they are having such a great time. I suppose you can also tell that from the blog posts they have been writing. I just wanted to say that I am enjoying my time with these guys as much as ever and consider myself so lucky to be travelling to India and with such an enthusiastic group. The heat is intense, the smells are scrumptious (most of them), sleeps are often interupted, foods are spicey, all being a fantastic experience. Love to all and keep the comments rolling. We will post pictures when we can (takes a long time to upload).
Ms. Prevedello
Hey everyone, it’s Allie and Anthea here.
On the 10th we, Kathryn, Dani, Anina, Allie and Anthea, started our day by going to special care to give our donations. In case you don’t know, special care is for older/younger boys and girls who have disabilities and need extra attention. It was a heart warming experience to see the smiles on their faces when we gave them their new toys. The most extraordinary experience was spending time with the older boys. First, we gave them their ring toss game amongst other fantastic toys. The teachers loved the ring toss game and said that the game helped to enforce the color and number concepts as well as promoting good hand-eye coordination. We were able to teach the boys how to play the game and it was special to see that we were able to give these people such great happiness with such simple gifts. Next, two of the boys performed dances that they had been practicing and working hard on. They were so proud to show us their accomplishments and it was cool to see how much joy they got from it. We found it incredible how despite their disabilities, they were able to learn a dance and perform it with such confidence and ease. They even taught us a few of their moves, which was a great time.
After a big lunch of unknown but delicious foods I, Anthea, got a chance to go and play with the babies. Despite the fact that I came out covered in pee and spit, it was still a good time and the babies were adorable. One baby, who Kasha and Kathryn nicknamed “double trouble” took a special interest in my hair. He would not stop pulling, tugging and eating my hair. Thankfully, he got over it after the first half hour.
For dinner, both groups met up for a fancy buffet dinner at the fanciest hotel in Podanur. It was culture shock all over again. We took advantage of the steak, chicken and pop, not to mention the desert buffet and clean luxurious bathrooms. It was great to have the group all together again and exchange stories from our very different experiences.
After a full action packed day, we all went to bed as soon as we got back. Or, at least I (Allie) did, and I have now gained myself a reputation to be the first to pass out. Last night was the record, 9:00 p.m. while everyone else went to bed at least 1 hour after me.
Yesterday, the 11th, the GPS and FFC groups reunited for a very eventful one hour bus ride to Chinmaya, an international IB school. We are proud to say that a new India record has been broken by Dmitri, Aidan, and I (Anthea). Our small bladders did not hold up on this bus ride, as we had to pull over on the side of an Indian highway and pee in the bushes. Well, not exactly bushes, because apparently I (Anthea) ended up going on a woman’s property, while she watched and screamed at me the entire time. Don’t worry, I was totally oblivious. Thankfully, my embarrassing experience was forgotten when Dmitri decided he had to go again on the way back. It was hilarious as the locals found this so absurd that they stopped on their motorcycles, pointed and laughed. He received a standing ovation from the whole village and our bus. Have no fear Dmitri, we have pictures.
When we arrived we were instantly welcomed to their beautiful school. We were all blown away by the large field, campus, and impressive buildings. Our visit began with an extensive presentation by the students, sharing their CAS experiences. We mingled with the students and compared our IB experiences. We were soon put into groups for a TOK lesson by the Indian version of Mr. Martin. It was cool to see the different methods of teaching as the class was very hands on, differing from what we’re used to. We soon learned how intense the lifestyles of these students. Their day begins at 5:30 a.m. with a mandatory hour long jog, followed by their spiritual class. This is all before 8:00 a.m. The day is packed with classes, no spares, and the students said that they often work until 3:30 a.m. They have a 6 day week, so when we asked them about what they do on the weekends; they said “absolutely nothing”. Despite the intensity of their lifestyles, the students are still happy, enjoy living with each other, and attending their school. This experience taught us to appreciate York, especially for the Ontario conversion which these students do not have. We left the school to go to a meditation and yoga centre. It was a peaceful and spiritual experience. We wrapped up the day with a dinner out to celebrate Brigitte’s birthday. We got home and went to bed immediately as .we were exhausted from such a fun filled day.
Update you later!
P.S. keep the comments coming, we love to hear from you guys! (That means you, Mom, Dad, Carly and Nick)
P.P.S Marky Mark (Surchin) and Professor Harvey, we hope you’re impressed with our grammar as we managed to get into several fights aka Allie slapped me many times over punctuation and spelling.
