Emailed to Shakyajata & Ken on Thursday, 4th December @7.45am:
As Achala mentioned before there are about 70 students - these comprise 23 - 26 women who are staying in a hostel and bus in every day, the rest are men who live on-site in rather cramped conditions and there are about 12 (men) who are GFR, have completed their course and are staying in better accommodation, also on site. The hierarchy is very prevalent - with those on the course having a full day including an hour of work and good but not excessive food. They are all delightful people.
We teachers on the other hand are waited on hand foot and finger as far as our culinary needs and beyond. We have a person assigned to us (Satish) who speaks near-perfect English and is very smart. He makes fantastic porridge, and makes sure we have enough of everything. He also supports the classes by translating for Achala.
Achala (called Achal because the final "a" is seen as a female name by the Indians) has been doing a sterling job of teaching all the students at once. He has inspired them and they do love his lessons. Having said that he is pitching to the middle of the group - as there is no other way to do it and those with more English could do with more challenge and those with less could do with more attention. For this reason we are going to split the group into 2 (this afternoon) by means of a test I borrowed from work. He will be taking the more experienced students (Group B) this week and the elementary ones (Group A) next week, and me vice versa.
Group A will be using the Natural English coursebook and B Cutting Edge until you get here and can run the EALIP programme.
We also have a timetable ensuring that the Dharma classes remain from 11 - 1. We have 1 hour 10 - 11 and then 1.75 hours from 2.15 - 4.15 (a 15 minute break at 3.) Roughly speaking.
So we'll do this until you get here. Achala is off for a week on a training course with Subhuti on 13th so what will probably happen is that I continue with the pre-ints and you can start your programme and everyone will breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Things I should tell you.
Mosquitos. Lots of them, day and night. In the rooms we have these funny things that plug in and are supposed to kill them. As I have been sleeping under a mos net and soaked myself in repellent yet still have been bitten about 10 times I don't have much faith in these electrical repellents. Also there are big gaps between the mos screen and the window frame so I still have them in my room.
Power Cuts. Twice a week the power goes off and the local generator goes on, however this isn't quite as neat and tidy as it sounds, in fact it seems quite random - it is dark early about 5.30 (though my sense of time is still off kilter) - I know that we eat our eve meal in the dark about 7.0 and its been dark awhile before. This means that the electric mosquito killers don't work when the power is off, nor does the kettle, water filtration thingy and so some awareness of things not always being comfortable is useful. Last night for example I woke up and couldn't sleep - wanted to read, couldn't, wanted tea couldn't, and didn't want to risk getting out of bed for fear of encountering the other guests that share my room occasionally (ghekko and er, cockroach) ...So please bring torches with you! And candles.
Nagpur - I imagine you know this but .... Quite squalid - as you know I'm not used to India or poverty at this level. There is utter chaos on the roads and by going to town you put your life in the hands of the craziest rickshaw drivers etc. On my arrival we came through when the traffic was "light" and there was the expected cows and bicycles etc but also a dead dog that looked like it had been driven into with some force by a large vehicle, it was in a kind of right-angle . I went into town again yesterday and really the filth and piles of dirt are pretty bad with people living on the streets, kids etc.
Went to a street tailor and one of the machinists was just collapsed accross the machine, sleeping from exhaustion and the others carried on working around her. Also visited a Buddhist friend of Nagaloka who has psoriasis - it was like going into the middle ages - this dark flat - clean enough but she's hidden away in the back room covered in cream sitting with frustration - the condition all over her body from head to foot. Its not infectious and we'll visit her again this weekend. This stuff is all outside of my comfort zone, and I did know to expect some shocks.
The exchange rate is fairly poor now at 72 rupees per GBP. Its an idea to check out phone networks before getting here. I got a new Indian phone with top up etc for about 22 quid but had I done some research could have adjusted my phone and just got a sim card, although the networks are expensive.
I am currently in the conference suite - paramita - in glorious isolation, other than marauding cats, mossies, ghekkos and so on. I'm looking forward to having some company there. Achala is good - he lives across the other side and is also very accostomed to India.
The students are absolutely lovely and I am so glad to be able to give them something. The resources will be so appreciated once we get going. At the moment we have a struggle to get marker pens and photocopies, but I am sure they will get this part of it organised soon.
Its late and lunchtime and I must away... Have to have lunch before afternoon lessons. Will keep you more informed. Remember to pack a torch, and there is nothing to attach the mosz nets to. String or rope would be helpful.
Cheerio
Jess
As Achala mentioned before there are about 70 students - these comprise 23 - 26 women who are staying in a hostel and bus in every day, the rest are men who live on-site in rather cramped conditions and there are about 12 (men) who are GFR, have completed their course and are staying in better accommodation, also on site. The hierarchy is very prevalent - with those on the course having a full day including an hour of work and good but not excessive food. They are all delightful people.
We teachers on the other hand are waited on hand foot and finger as far as our culinary needs and beyond. We have a person assigned to us (Satish) who speaks near-perfect English and is very smart. He makes fantastic porridge, and makes sure we have enough of everything. He also supports the classes by translating for Achala.
Achala (called Achal because the final "a" is seen as a female name by the Indians) has been doing a sterling job of teaching all the students at once. He has inspired them and they do love his lessons. Having said that he is pitching to the middle of the group - as there is no other way to do it and those with more English could do with more challenge and those with less could do with more attention. For this reason we are going to split the group into 2 (this afternoon) by means of a test I borrowed from work. He will be taking the more experienced students (Group B) this week and the elementary ones (Group A) next week, and me vice versa.
Group A will be using the Natural English coursebook and B Cutting Edge until you get here and can run the EALIP programme.
We also have a timetable ensuring that the Dharma classes remain from 11 - 1. We have 1 hour 10 - 11 and then 1.75 hours from 2.15 - 4.15 (a 15 minute break at 3.) Roughly speaking.
So we'll do this until you get here. Achala is off for a week on a training course with Subhuti on 13th so what will probably happen is that I continue with the pre-ints and you can start your programme and everyone will breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Things I should tell you.
Mosquitos. Lots of them, day and night. In the rooms we have these funny things that plug in and are supposed to kill them. As I have been sleeping under a mos net and soaked myself in repellent yet still have been bitten about 10 times I don't have much faith in these electrical repellents. Also there are big gaps between the mos screen and the window frame so I still have them in my room.
Power Cuts. Twice a week the power goes off and the local generator goes on, however this isn't quite as neat and tidy as it sounds, in fact it seems quite random - it is dark early about 5.30 (though my sense of time is still off kilter) - I know that we eat our eve meal in the dark about 7.0 and its been dark awhile before. This means that the electric mosquito killers don't work when the power is off, nor does the kettle, water filtration thingy and so some awareness of things not always being comfortable is useful. Last night for example I woke up and couldn't sleep - wanted to read, couldn't, wanted tea couldn't, and didn't want to risk getting out of bed for fear of encountering the other guests that share my room occasionally (ghekko and er, cockroach) ...So please bring torches with you! And candles.
Nagpur - I imagine you know this but .... Quite squalid - as you know I'm not used to India or poverty at this level. There is utter chaos on the roads and by going to town you put your life in the hands of the craziest rickshaw drivers etc. On my arrival we came through when the traffic was "light" and there was the expected cows and bicycles etc but also a dead dog that looked like it had been driven into with some force by a large vehicle, it was in a kind of right-angle . I went into town again yesterday and really the filth and piles of dirt are pretty bad with people living on the streets, kids etc.
Went to a street tailor and one of the machinists was just collapsed accross the machine, sleeping from exhaustion and the others carried on working around her. Also visited a Buddhist friend of Nagaloka who has psoriasis - it was like going into the middle ages - this dark flat - clean enough but she's hidden away in the back room covered in cream sitting with frustration - the condition all over her body from head to foot. Its not infectious and we'll visit her again this weekend. This stuff is all outside of my comfort zone, and I did know to expect some shocks.
The exchange rate is fairly poor now at 72 rupees per GBP. Its an idea to check out phone networks before getting here. I got a new Indian phone with top up etc for about 22 quid but had I done some research could have adjusted my phone and just got a sim card, although the networks are expensive.
I am currently in the conference suite - paramita - in glorious isolation, other than marauding cats, mossies, ghekkos and so on. I'm looking forward to having some company there. Achala is good - he lives across the other side and is also very accostomed to India.
The students are absolutely lovely and I am so glad to be able to give them something. The resources will be so appreciated once we get going. At the moment we have a struggle to get marker pens and photocopies, but I am sure they will get this part of it organised soon.
Its late and lunchtime and I must away... Have to have lunch before afternoon lessons. Will keep you more informed. Remember to pack a torch, and there is nothing to attach the mosz nets to. String or rope would be helpful.
Cheerio
Jess
2 comments:
Hi Jess,
This is really interesting. I'm also interested to hear how the newcomers ken and Julie are getting on.
Ken, I didn't see you before you left and want to wish you well - of course I'd like to wish you all well!
Love
Kay B
Hey Jess
Just looked over some of your blog it reminded me of my first trip to south east asia were i was in total culture shock for a few weeks though i was lucky as i was just a tourist staying in youth hostels to have to work in this state would be extra challengig i imagine !!
If its off any help it settles down and you get used to most things and are just left with the joy of the amazing people and characters, and then you get the total culture shock in reverse when you get back in uk ! its so quite grey no smiles no people in the side streets etc etc!
Anyway hope you all settle in well i hope ken is doing ok i will miss seeing him setting up his elaborate meditation cushions set up on the monday sangha nights !!
I origionally visited here to see how Shakyajata is doing ! send her my love i thought of her on monday night when Vishnapani gave a talk on India and the work you guys are doing !
Good luck with it all best wishes Paul :)
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