Having been at the school a week (and then been on the move for the last week) I thought its probably time for a little update. I've settled in well and have a vague idea of what I'm going to be doing during my time here - umpiring cricket matches. But more on that another time. I've sat in on several classes, mostly maths and physics and am not sure whether to be pleased at how much I can remember or be worried at how much I've forgotten. Anyway I also got coerced into teaching an Upper 6 class about refraction of light which they all found immensely exhilarating and were bursting with excitement.
Last week Wednesday I spent a lesson with the Class 3's, the 8 year olds right at the bottom of the school. They were newer to the school than I was having only arrived on Monday, so I was expecting a load of shy, quiet boys with tears in their eyes who I'd have trouble even getting to say their names. Instead I walked into the class to as much noise as a Mumbai green light. Feeling slightly wrong-footed I started introducing myself and they were quiet for 2 minutes before the ants in their pants got too much for them and they started jumping up, asking questions, shouting at each other and generally acting as normal boys do. I remembered that when you are a hyper-active little 8 year old with mates to impress, sitting in a corner facing the wall with your mouth taped shut is not an enjoyable way to spend 5 minutes. So the loudest boy got this treatment and it kept the class quiet enough to get a game of bingo going. Even that was an effort though and it took the remaining 25 minutes to play. On the basis of this, teaching them anything vaguely constructive is going to be nearly impossible, and I'm meant to be teaching French. Bonne chance!
On Sunday I went with some new found friends to Simla town. The centre where the oldest buildings are is still very English looking and one of the boys is the son of the deputy Mayor so he showed me 'daddy's office'. The rest of the town sprawls over the surrounding hills and all looks as though its about to fall off the side of the mountain. We visited 'Scandal Point', the yellow Christchurch and then went shopping, the deputy mayor's son buying me a classic Himachal Pradeshi hat which I'm proudly modelling below with my 60 rupee RenBin Wayfarer sunglasses given to me by Deepak.
I like the town, it has character and charm despite it being a real hodge podge of buildings from the 1840s onwards but can see where the boys are coming from when they say that it gets fairly dull quite quickly, and night life is limited to er... not much.
I'm enjoying it though even if it is a little bit too much like going back school (incessant immature boy jokes and an actual scheduled day) and I've been included/forced my way in enough of a variety of activities to keep things interesting. The six o'clock morning run and cold bucket being a couple of activities slightly further down the fun ladder than others.
I'm on my way back to school after three days in Varanasi where I attended Deepak's brother's wedding and will let you know all about it soon.
Cheers
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