Education Day and the Elephant House

the morning sun shining through

Today half of the volunteers went to a leprosy colony and the other half stayed here and worked with the children at their school.  Matt and I did school today.  I had to wear a scarf over my shoulders when in school today... provides more of a sense of authority and not a playmate to the kids.  Here's the outfit I picked out today.

We started this morning by spending time with the kindergarten kids. We sang songs and then each of us took a few of them and read a Dr. Seuss book to our little group.  I read Green Eggs and Ham to three boys.  Fun way to start the day.  After that, Matt and I watched the students have their morning assembly out on the grass by their flagpole.  They were a sight to see all lined up in their red uniforms.  Then we spent the rest of the morning in the computer lab with 2nd, 3rd, and 5th standards (grades).  We helped them on math programs.  After lunch, besides helping with computers, we were assigned to hold a discussion about values to the 6th Standard.  Matt and I had about 6 or 7 girls in our group.  Their classroom is small, so we took them to sit in the stairwell.  This was my favorite part of today.  I love that age group of girls, and we had a wonderful time talking with them.  We aren't to take our cameras into the school because it's a distraction, but Matt managed to snap two pictures with his iPhone today.

A boy that Matt worked with today.  He was a cutie.

For lunch, Matt and I went to the dining hall where the children and teachers eat.  I took a couple of pics and some video (will have to share that at a later date).  The kids eat with their "families" in large circles on the floor.  We sat with them and tried to eat with our fingers like indians do.  It is amazing watching the way they do it.  They squoosh it around and form little balls of food.

Here is the hostel that the volunteers stay in.  It is called The Elephant House.  Once you walk through the front doors, there is a large open courtyard.  There are five rooms on each side of it.  One of the ten rooms has been turned into a lounge/living room that they call the Mango Room.  There is a mens bathroom and a women's bathroom, a kitchen, and a room where towels, sheets, blankets and the women's salwars are kept.  There is a rooftop terrace with a canopy where we eat dinner at night in the dark.  It's a really lovely yet very simple place to stay.

Matt's bed

Use your imagination on how it's done efficiently.  

Bucket showers and squatter toilets.  Pretty darn basic.

Here is my dinner tonight under a full moon.  Been eating vegetarian for the last few days.  Trying new foods and enjoying them all.