heLLo AgAIN!
Wow, it's wierd how time can go so fast and so slow at the same time!! It's only been 2 full weeks since we arrived and it feels like we've beeen here for months :) I miss Alison!
Teaching has been one of the greatest learning experiences i have ever had! I have always known that you can learn in any situation however i didn't know that when you are given the charge of imparting knowledge to those considered "simple" that you are truly the simple or "small minded" one! That the teacher (me) becomes, without question, the student! I have been forever blessed by the opportunity to share my love of music, and specifically the guitar, to these very, VERY grateful children. Understanding has not always been the most faithful attender in our classes, but desire to learn comes early and stays late every single day! I am very excited and extremely impressed by how much the students have learned in one short week of instruction! I have been joking with Willie & others that I have been putting these kids through a "Musical Boot Camp"! This joke is not too far from the truth. I have been very firm and strict in enforcing good behavior and cramming as much information into every session as possible! I have had to be hard nosed at times, just imagine 25 guitars all out of tune and all being strummed (actually beat upon) at the same time! Then try to regain control of this class. If even one person out of 25 decides to get that last measure banged out, then you cannot continue! But now they all understand and they have a lot of respect so that even when they are all in the open courtyard area practicing if i request with hand motions that they stop playing they all stop. And those that are tardy in their obedience are chastised by their class mates!! Now we just have to work on their respect for Willie! hehe ....it's too funny, when I turn the class over to him for Crafts or games and walk out, it gets a little out of hand.
So we finished the first week and there were some changes made. We had 30-35 students, however there were 10-15 that were not interested, to young, or simply misbehaving. So the Manager made the decision to limit the class to those above the 5th grade. This was a good decision because we had come to find out that the younger ones were coming for free baby-sitting, and those that remain definitey come to learn. We now have a consistent 22 students, all are large enough to hold the guitar properly (this was a big problem with the smaller children), and have a fair understanding of English even if they can't speak it.
God has been so good to me and giving me ideas and ability to convey the difficult concepts involved with basic guitar music theory. I didn't come to India with an agenda or specific curriculum. We purchased a basic "Easy Way to Guitar" book that i use as an outline and spring board to other concepts. One example is that of strumming. This is one of those things that when you know how to do it, it seems so natural and when you play a strum pattern you expect the student to just get it! But they don't! Not even one of them. So i had to develop a method of diagraming and dissecting the art of strumming that could be explained on the chalk board. It's cool because Willie is learning right along side of the kids, and he acts as measuring rod for the effectiveness of my teaching. After i was able to break the strumming down to it's necessary parts and introduce different aspects of timing, they TOTALLY got it! Some of the kids understood it so well this way that i was able to draw any variation of strum pattern and they could play it! That was an amazing experience! There are definite times or experiences that occur while teaching that can act like a reservoir of fuel which keeps your fire of excitement for teaching burning bright and strong. Standing there in front of 15 students who finally understood (my english and the concept) and played in time me, was simply amazing! And the smiles they would give to me when i got excited and clapped while saying "bahoot acha" (very good), were some of the most beautiful smiles i have ever seen!
The determination of the children is very inspiring. We start early and it is very hot yet they come every day and stay late.
7:30am - sing and learn new songs and pray
8:-9:00am - Group I Music class, Group II computer class
9:-10:00am - Crafts, games, or large guitar class
10:-10:30 am - break, snack
10:30-11:30 am - Group II Music class, Group I computer class
11:30-12:00pm - Review
1:00-3,4,or 5pm - personal practice and tutoring
It's amazing how many students will stay late and want to continue to learn. One Wednesday one the most enthusiasic and fun students, Santosh T. brought his "mouth organ"or Harmonica and asked me to teach him how to play. We were the last ones to leave the school, then he would joke to me in his very broken english, "I stay 24 hour, you teach me! haha." He is a real joy, he never stops smiling even when he doesn't understand a word you are saying! Wait, i take that back....ALL the children are extremely competitive and they get so angry if the other team is cheating. It's quite funny! I tought them to play "ultimate frisbee" minus the frisbee :) We use a tennis ball. But on one game i wasn't paying very close attention, i was sipping my indian tea (hot tea) while trying to refferee, it was nearly 115 f and as i was trying to sip without burning my tongue the blue team had discovered that passing the ball hand to hand was the easiest way of moving up the field without dropping the ball! LOL. I didn't see this and so when i saw the touch-down catch i called a point. But the red team was indignant! They were chanting "DEY CHEAT! DEY CHEATING! HE IS LIAR! HE IS LIAR! " I couldn't help but laugh! Anyhow Santosh is wonderful student and he loves to learn, he attempts to translate for me in class. Some of the other children don't like this becuase even though they cannot speak english, many times they can understand it better than Santosh! So when he translates they rattle off in Hindie protesting his interpretation! This is so humorous, but i still have him or someone give a translation becuase at the begining of the class i told them that this was not only a Guitar class, it was an English Class, Music Theory Class, Guitar Class, and Hindi Class!
Yesterday, Saturday 5-26-07, we went sight-seeing. I always have mixed emotions about going on these adventures, because I almost always get car sick! The traffic and driving conditions are like nothing you have ever experienced! There is not even one place in America that can compare to the driving here in Delhi! All i can say is WOW! So it's really hot and the pollution is so very bad that when we go for more than 15 minutes i just want to get back to our appartment.
However the most difficult thing for me is dealing with the beggars! So many times i don't know what to do! It's so, so very heart wrenching to have a child come up to you at a stop light and ask for money or food. Sometimes I haven't had any money or food, then there were times when all i had were large bills. The people who take us around seem to be unaffected by it, but can hardly bear it. We had just come out of this place called "Red Fort", which was absolutely amazing but we didn't have our camera, and three children came up to us, they quickly realized that Willie & I were the only ones that would even look at them. We had paid 100 Rs. a piece to walk through this place and coming out all i had were 100 Rs. bills which is like $2.50 US and we were going to anther place which required payment and so i didn't want to give them this bill. The boy was trying to sell us post cards, but there was this girl that looked about 10 (yet she could have been a malnourished 17 year old) and she was carrying a very small baby. We were waiting to be picked up by the driver and so for nealy 10 minutes which felt like an hour this girl begged to us, and the boy would not give up on the post cards! He was actually very very funny, maybe that's why he wouldn't leave us alone, because he kept making Willie & I laugh. He spoke english very well and when he could get us to buy is post cards he tried a humorous technique. First he was asking for 100 Rs. / post card booklet (he had 7 varieties). Then after a while he was offering all 7 for 100 Rs. ! Then he came back and with his cute accent and a smile he said, "ok, special deal for you, 1 post card for 1000 Rs." And he kept raising the price rather than bringing it down and this only made me laugh more. Finally Anand (our driver) arrived and i couldn't stand it, so as the girl followed us into the very busy street all the way to the car i gave her the 100 Rs. bill that i had. I gave something that time, but i can't tell you how many times I have had to walk by or ignore, or say no to those begging. Only two weeks and i can feel myself changing, when you have to pass by those in need without giving aid you begin to "get used to it" or become calloused to it. So i guess i can understand how those who have lived here all thier lives could pass by without a glance, but i think it will always gnaw at me. In America it's different. Sometimes it's easy to ignore those that pan-handle because they have options in America that they choose not to take advantage of, they want to live a life of drugs and sin, or they would rather do their own thing,even if that's begging, than be under another person's authority. But here! So many don't have another option! Some may perhaps, but here there is a poverty that is true and absolute, not self imposed or the result of poor choices and sin! So i ask the question, "how do i deal with this?" Do i carry large amounts of small bills to hand out everytime i leave the house? Are my prayers for these people worth anything if i have done nothing to ease their pain? Why was I chosen to be the one who gets to pay the man with out shoes and only one shirt tohis name 50 cents to peddle me & Willie back to our appartment where we can turn on our air-conditioner and sit down to a warm meal with a cold drink? It's absolutely amazing how selfish and ungrateful i have been, and even continue to be! Seriously! What do I really believe will give me true fulfillment, joy, and happiness? Francis has been hitting the nail on the head! We, I, Americans, are the rich man Jesus spoke of! How hard it is for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, surely it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle! My prayer now is that as I live my life I use my talents, my simply being an American, my wealth for the glory of God rather than wholly consuming it upon myslef and that which i desire. Please pray for me, that what i am experiencing, the struggles of emotion, heart, and soul, truly will be my Indian Transformation!
I miss Alison, I miss home, I miss pasta, I miss burritos! Oh, and i miss ice in tea (although i think part of my transformation is that i will be drinking hot tea in place of coffee!).
Love to ALL!
BJ
Uncle & Auntie Raj have now become "papa" & "mum". They are definitely our Indian parents! They have decided to learn the guitar mum's quick learning has been a competitive motivator for papa! :) They practice every night, sometimes even after i go to sleep.
This is the blue team. We were playing games and i couldn't keep track of who was on each team so i had the office buy two rolls of ribbon- Blue & Red. From left to right and down: Nousha, Moshin(best student and great translator), Sagar, Santosh S., Krishna, Purnima, Jay, Hanz, Sunil, Santosh K., Mamta, Vivek, the last 4 are no longer inthe class.
The red team! Tepan, Santosh T. (Mr. Enthusiasm), Sagar P., Sagar R., Jebesh, Nassrulla, Yoshan, Saurav, Gulshan.
This is what the kids call the Lobby. This is where i have them practice after class, they can spread out and there is usually a constant breeze (hot) and they can all practice separately.
Santosh T.
This was Friday, these 5 children practiced for nearly 3 hours straight of their own accord. I kept asking if they wanted to quit (i was exhausted) and they would say it was ok. They were here in the hall because the wind began to blow so hard and there was something burning nearby that you couldn't open your eyes in the Lobby area and when they stood up all the chairs blew out from them! :) Yet they continued to practice!
We only had the camera for our first to places of sight-seeing. This was at the Pilar, i don't remember what it was called. Some king wanted to make the tallest tower in all India, it took the lifetime of 3 kings to complete.
These are pictures in the ruins around the tower.
Willie the Giant.
The intricate carvings on every pilar and on every wall were mind boggling!
I'm supposed to be leaning on the tower :)
We could have gotten an even better picture on the other side of this massive structure but the workers got mad at us. there were windows on the sides that were near the top that we could have climbed up to, oh and there were green parrots flying around inside!
This is standing in front of the presidential palace and looking toward what is called the "India Gate", the small arch far off in the distance directly above the yellow line.
Here is at the India Gate. It was funny there are so many people trying to get Willie & I to buy things from them, you can't view anthing like this without getting bombarded by these people selling everything from fresh cucumbers to post cards. There was a man selling these toys that you shoot with a rubber band into the air and then they twirl as they parachute down. I told him no, but then after he walked away i thought i would buy one for each student. When i asked Nessa to aks him how many 25 would cost there came out of nowhere another man selling the same things. The first man got furious and when he told me 200 Rs for 20 the 2nd man offered 20 for only 100 Rs.! and a fight nearly broke out! It was crazy he started throwing punches! So i told the first man to give me 25 for 200 Rs.
This one just cracked me up! If you don't get it, I'll pray for you!
