Hello All –

Well, it’s been a while. Teaching English is going well, and it remains a daily highlight. Unfortunately I did a side week-long trip to Orissa, which cut a bit into the flow of the English class, and especially into the flow of blog-writing. And I’ve recently returned from a 3 day trip to Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh which was inspiring. More on that in another blog.

I’ve tried different ways of teaching English with the girls at Anbalaya. Usually I see them in small groups of 2 or 3, but then they started spontaneously to come in bigger groups, until one day everyone was in the same class. As everyone is at a different level, it’s always challenging, but they’re very good about helping each other. We do a fairly normal ESL-type of class – conversation, listening, writing, reading (except for those who don’t read), and learning new vocabulary and idioms. They’re all quite comfortable now with “See ya later” and “How’s it goin’?” – with correct North American sloppy pronunciation. Among the things I enjoy doing with ESL is tongue twisters, and because we were dealing with ‘no’ and ‘know’, they learned ‘The slow fellow wants to borrow the yellow pillow.’ English makes no sense at all sometimes.

We also sing together, and that has been a lot of fun. For a few classes we did “Row row row your boat,” and I’ve never heard such a robust and heart-felt version of it. After a number of starts, we finally broke into two groups and did it as a canon. Getting that concept took some expansive miming.

A couple of the girls, Leelavathi especially, was fascinated by the toy keyboard I brought in to help with the tune (I’m terrible at keeping a tune). I thought perhaps I could buy a small “good” keyboard, and was directed to Musée Musicale, a large music shop downtown with a music school attached. These simple keyboards are quite expensive, so I had the idea that if a music student volunteers twice a month to give the girls lessons, then it would be worthwhile to get the keyboard. I asked the store manager about it, and he took my number and promised to ask around. The next day a man called, saying he was interested. We arranged to meet when I returned from Orissa. I was really excited – could it be that simple? We met at the office, and I launched into a description of what Share and Care’s programs are about. When I finished (only a few minutes), I asked if he had any questions. “Yes,” he replied, “I want to emigrate to Canada. Can you help me.?” A few more futile attempts to explain the handicapped girls’ situation, and I gave up. We chatted about Canada, but I really couldn’t help him; he didn’t want to help us either.

Two short profiles:

Leelavathi: She is really lovely. In addition to her physical beauty, she is an eager English student. She is interested, always alert, and loves to pose for the camera. She has great taste in clothes, and is always neatly dressed. It seems to me that were circumstances different, she would have had the world at her feet. She is fairly mobile, but her limp is decidedly there, and she has to wear shoes that give her a lot of support. She is an enthusiastic dancer (seated), an excellent artist, and enjoys singing. Her English is at a high beginner level. She’s the only student who writes down everything in her notebook and then presents it to me for a sticker (yes, I use stickers).

Jayashalee: Completely earth-bound, Jayashalee is unable to walk at all, even with crutches. When she has to go anywhere, someone, often Jyothi, carries her. As well, her dexterity in her left hand isn’t good enough to allow her to make the straw art that they do, so she is relegated to preparing the straw for the others. She loves to sing, and has spear-headed learning Row row row your boat, and This old man, he played one, etc. I’m teaching her “You’ll Never Walk Alone” next. Her face belies her physical condition, and she is simply open, honest, and caring. Although she can’t do the straw art, she can draw, and she recently made a card for me with a poem that is incredibly moving. I will post it as soon as I can. She is one of the helpers in the class, with a low intermediate level of English.

Working with these young women (in India - ladies) continues to be amazing. Every day is new, fresh, and full of energy. I will miss them when I leave.

Until next time,

Ellen
PS: The photos look much better if you click on them and see them in normal size.