Dans la vie il faut du coeur et un mental de résistant

Un texte (slam) que j'ai redécouvert récemment et que j'ai eu envie de partager. Une note d'espoir pour ceux et celles qui traversent un moment difficile et un rappel à la réalité pour ceux qui, comme moi, sont voués au bonheur. Idéaliste mais vrai, bourré d'émotions et très poétique, mais surtout une habilité à jouer avec les mots rare de nos jours, j'adore!!!

Anglo friends: sorry, it's a French artist but it's worth learning French just to be able to read and understand it. You could also try Babble Fish but not quite sure it would be as good. Hahaha!

Stay tuned for a Part II of Sofie in India this summer. Will try to be more disciplined this time ;-)

S'il y'a bien une idée qui rassemble, une pensée qu'est pas toute neuve.
C'est que quel que soit ton parcours, tu rencontres de belles épreuves
La vie c'est Mister Hyde, pas seulement Docteur Jekyll.
J'ai vu le film depuis longtemps, la vie n'est pas un long fleuve tranquille
T'as qu'à voir les réactions d'un nouveau né à l'hopital.
S'il chiale si fort c'est qu'il comprend que souvent la vie va lui faire mal
Y'a des rires, y'a des pleurs, y'a des bas, y'a des hauts.
Y'a des soleils et des orages et je te parle pas que de météo
On vit dans un labyrinte et y'a des pièges à chaque virage.
A nous de les esquiver et de pas calculer les mirages
Mais le destin est un farceur, on peut tomber à chaque instant.
Pour l'affronter, faut du coeur et un mental de résistant

J'ai des cicatrices plein la peau et quelques unes dans mes souvenirs.
Y'a des rescapés partout, j'suis qu'un exemple, ça va sans dire
Ca doit se sentir, faut pas se mentir, la vie c'est aussi la guérison.
Après la foudre, prends toi en main et redessine ton horizon
Y'a des tempètes sans visage où on doit se battre contre le pire.
Personne n'y échappe, Rouda c'est pas toi qui vas me contredire
C'est l'ultime épreuve où tu affrontes la pire souffrance morale.
Quand la peine rejoint l'impuissance pour la plus triste des chorales
J'ai vu des drames à coeur ouvert, j'ai vu des gens qui s'accrochent.
Ce qui est bien avec le drame, c'est que tu le partages avec tes proches
Pour les miens il est peut-être l'heure de m'arrêter un court instant.
Pour les remercier d'avoir du coeur et un mental de résistant

La vie est aussi perverse, ce que tu désires elle l'a caché.
Elle te le donnera pas tout cuit, il va falloir aller le chercher
Du coup ce qu'on a, on le mérite, au hasard on a rien piqué.
Et si t'as pas compris, va voir mes potes il vont t'expliquer
Jacky, tu m'as dit que l'assenceur social était bloqué.
Toi t'es allé chez Otis et le réparateur tu l'as braqué
Sans craqué, sans rémission, t'as affronté de vraie missions.
Tu m'as montré qu'avoir du mental, c'est aussi avoir de l'ambition
Y'a pas de chemin facile, Brahim t'as rien demandé à personne.
T'as tout construit de tes mains et y'a que moi que tu impressionnes
Toi Sami t'es notre moteur parce que tu sais depuis longtemps.
Que pour que sa chémar il faut du coeur et un mental de résistant

Je crois qu'on a tous une bonne étoile sauf que des fois elle est bien planquée.
Certaines même plus que d'autres, il faut aller les débusquer
Parfois ça prend du temps quand tu fais trois fois le tour du ciel.
Mais si tu cherches c'est que tu avances, à mon avis c'est l'essentiel
Je fais partie de ceux qui pensent qu'y'a pas de barrières infranchissable.
Il faut y croire un peu, y'a bien des fleurs qui poussent dans le sable
Et c'est quand tu te bats qu'il y'a de belles victoires que tu peux arracher.
Comme se relever avec une moelle épinière en papier maché
Je n'apprends rien à personne, tu es vivant tu sais ce que c'est.
Vivre c'est accepter la douleur, les échecs et les décés
Mais c'est aussi plein de bonheur, on va le trouver en insistant.
Et pour ça, faut du coeur et un mental de résistant

- Grand corps malade, Mental -

Update from One! International

Here is Tania's newletter highlighting the accomplishments and tribulations of One! International during the last six months. I thought some of you would be interested!

Well, well, well… here I sit - not pen in hand, but cat by my side and laptop on my lap. It is a fantastic time to be writing this update and unlike last time, I have a smile on my face and am filled with satisfaction for what has been accomplished over the last six months and determination to accomplish even more in the time to come.

It has certainly been another news-filled six months.

I last left you at the end of September, when a new batch of volunteers started to make themselves at home along with the new staff. To give everyone (including the children) a fresh start, we ran exam week three weeks early in October and started a new semester. Everyone was excitedly planning for their classes and there was a buzz of fresh ideas. Volunteers Sofie and Caroline headed off to Nallasopara while volunteers Amy, Verinderjit and Curtis stayed with the children in Khar.

Sofie and Caroline (both from Canada) immediately took the new school as their own and took on the responsibility to help organize the school, and the administration. In fact, after Sofie’s month was up, she decided to continue on in Nallasopara rather than to shift to the Khar school. Quite a remarkable decision considering it meant 3 hours travel time as opposed to twenty minutes, and off and on electricity and lack of other facilities as opposed to stability at Khar. Sofie displayed shear dedication to the children and making the most of every minute she had with them. She returned for two weeks in January after her travels. Caroline was instrumental in planning for fun week (movie day, amusement park, nature park, and sports day) which proved stressful for staff and volunteers but undoubtedly successful and fun-filled for the children! Caroline brought fresh ideas to her classes and was fantastic at documentation.

At the Khar school, Amy (England) not only did a great job with her classes but helped a lot on the administration side. She supported the staff immensely and was someone that everyone knew they could depend on. She was a dedicated volunteer, and like Sophie, wanted to know all she could about the children and the organization.

Verinderjit found it very hard to adjust to Mumbai and One! During her first week. Then, one day, she decided to make the most of it and wore a smile every minute thereafter. She gave a lot of energy and love to the children and created a fantastic mural on one of the Khar School’s wall.

Curtis (Canada) was great in his classes and like Sophie, fell in love with the challenge of the new school in Nallasopara. After a month in Khar, he spent two months travelling back and forth on the trains. The children there really responded to him and continue reciting the English poems he taught them long after he finished as a volunteer at the end of January. Curtis was not only dedicated to the children, but was also dedicated to the organization and spent the month of February programming and developing a database system for us.

Krishna (England) joined the team in November and spent three and a half months at the Khar school. The children immediately accepted her as a big sister and were able to trust her and open up to her. Krishna fell in love with Mumbai and hopes to come back.

Our program at the end of December was fantastic!! Both schools were brought together for the first time and it was clear that the Nallasopara students and parents were excited to be a part of the celebration. The Khar children welcomed them warmly and supported all of their performances. Though the list of acts was long, the night went off with few troubles and mainly huge smiles, happy children and proud parents.

After the program we were all happy to have our two week holiday. Two of the staff from Nallasopara (Kirti and Susheela) didn’t return after the holiday – the fit just wasn’t right, but Sunita was happy to have Chitr (an actress/teacher from north India) join her full-time at the school and was even happier when she found out that a senior staff from the Khar school would be at the Nallasopara school every day. Jayanti, Mahendra, Vinita and I go to the school to help with teaching, but mainly to maintain the school, do social work and administration. This has proven to have had a fantastic effect on the school and a very cohesive effect on our staff as a whole. For Friday fun day, either teacher Smita, Kishore or Diksha helps out in Nallasopara. Sometimes they even fight about who gets to go!

The Nallasopara School has slowed down a bit in terms of attendance, but that is actually a very positive thing rather than negative. The children that are now studying at the school are dedicated to education and are not just there for the freebies. They are able to have more contact with the staff one on one and the teachers and social workers are in more of a position to really make a difference. One of the easiest ways of seeing this is by watching little Vijay – a boy at the school. He suffers from severe foetal alcohol syndrome on top of other disabilities. When we first met him, he was destructive, inattentive and couldn’t listen to what people were saying let alone follow instructions. Now when he comes to school he has a huge smile on his face and is able to follow the pattern of the day with ease. When we asked in a school assembly “Who’s school is this?” expecting to get the answer “Everyone’s school.” Vijay shouted very loudly and confidently “It is MY school!!!”

Vinod continued his antics in November and ended up losing his job once again over them – he quit at the same time as he was being fired! He maintains contact with me, but not the same closeness. His wife, Asha, is pregnant and is due some time during monsoon.

Reshma continues her work as the maid for the volunteers. She is frustratingly inconsistent, and sometimes it is hard to know how much leeway to give for the outside pressures she has from home. In general, the debate is always on as to how many chances are too many chances?? Whoever has an answer to this, please enlighten us!

One of the worst events in our history happened at the Khar school in February – the 18^th to be specific, I will never forget it. Vinita and I arrived at the school in the morning to hear that one of our fathers had been rushed to emergency a couple days before and died within hours. We immediately left to go to the family’s house and be there for the wife and the five children (9, 7, 5, 2 and newborn). While we were gone, two senior students of the school snuck into the office and stole 20,000 Rs.

My heart sank in despair when I saw the money was missing. The worst pain was when I walked in to school two days later and saw the two students with two brand new camera cell phones and a third second-hand phone. One of the students had been with me since the first day of school in May of 2001 and was like a son – we had a communication beyond words and he gave me utmost respect at all times. I was stunned with the betrayal. The other student was responsible and hard-working and also spent more than five years as a part of the school family. The pain deepened.

As soon as we pieced together the story, we took both of the boys to the police who managed to get a confession out of them and on our request – let them free.

The whole school was in shock and all of the staff felt completely betrayed. How could our own students do this? How could they steal their own money – the money that feeds them, and clothes them, and teaches them and does so much more? They weren’t just stealing from TaniaDidi and One! International, but they were stealing from their friends and their own brothers and sisters and parents. The parents of the two students were embarrassed and inconsolable. They felt ashamed at what their children had done.

The decision was taken to shut the school down. We had an emergency meeting for everyone – staff, children, and parents. I reminded everyone of how the organization started and its dream. To help, to give, to support, to teach, to feed, to love…. All such positive things, that not only these two boys didn’t appreciate or respect, but things that no-one appreciated or respected. What if we weren’t here? It was not solely this incident but an accumulation of many attitudes that led to shutting down. We asked them to think about their own attitudes and come back with renewed appreciation and respect for the opportunities and gifts that they have been given through One!.

It was a very traumatic week for everyone – especially me. Years of faith and trust that seemed to be for not. Years of dedication and hard-work. Why? To be stolen from by the very people that I dedicated my life to help. The despair didn’t last long however, as each of the parents came up one by one to apologize and say thank you and express their worry and appreciation. Positive always surpasses negative. Everyone tried to convince us to not shut the school down and that they were sorry not only for the theft but for their own mistakes and disrespect.

After a week of needed recovery (for everyone) and Naniji’s (Marilyn) arrival of warmth and love and support, the school reopened a week later. Attendance was down (not a surprise) but the mood was completely different: attitude less; appreciation more.

It has been smooth sailing through March and April. The positive spirit of the school remains and the children are performing fantastically. The staff is working together well and using every minute they can to make a difference. We just finished conducting exams for the year. The students we expected to do well did – but even more rewarding were the large number of students who performed beyond expectation and really showed their progress. A few students to note were Roshan, Nilesh and Usha, fifteen to sixteen year olds who have found it hard over the years to commit to education. All three wrote all of their exams and didn’t give up and managed to pass them all! They are setting great examples for the younger students – try your best, which is all anyone can ask of you and all you can ask of yourself.

A huge accomplishment for the organization has been the great success of the new Loan Program. It is no longer just an opportunity that the organization gives to those in need, but a full system and community development opportunity. The families have been divided in to three groups each with the same amount in their bank. Each group of families has to work together to help each other and help each other get ahead. When the new program first started at the end of January, senior social worker Vinita and I were expecting chaos and trouble. We were pleasantly surprised when it went off without a hitch and the groups immediately got involved and took it seriously. We felt like we were dreaming. This just shows that we have managed to educate not only the children but indirectly the parents also. They have grown a sense of responsibility not only for themselves and their children but for the greater school community also. They can follow rules and regulations and learned respect for a system. Wow!

Another success on the social work side of our activities is the progress of Anil in working toward getting ration cards (proof of identity) for our parents. We were hoping to have had them already, but the process has proven more political than first anticipated. Anil is fighting his way through the bureaucracy and has a meeting in the middle of May at which time he will more than likely get ration cards for three of our families.

We were very sad to say good bye to long time friend and volunteer Bryonie (England) at the end of December. She worked a lot with the PreStep children, filled in any class needed and kept the office in remarkable order. Little Nitesh really looked up to her and made her pull out a book and read to him whenever she was free. All of us miss her gentle nature as much as Nitesh does.

In January we were excited to have Ari (England) return as a part-time volunteer along with new volunteer Angelica (Mexico). Together they cover three classes and are really professional and dedicated to the children. They have not only shown their support and love inside the school but have been instrumental in finding support from the outside also.

We had two great short-time volunteers in February and March. Nicole (USA) was busy helping to organize our social work filing and in continuing our dental program. Her three short weeks were not long enough and we only wish she could have been with us for longer. Avi (USA) was also only with us for a few weeks and had a lot of fun with the children. He taught them English, and most of all taught them to have fun and joke without having to hurt anyone’s feelings. Hopefully the tears he shed when he left meant that he will make his way back to the school one day soon.

Now we are lucky to have Yoga guru Vanessa (Canada) give her gentleness and incredible work ethic until the end of June, and Shalin (USA) and Jennifer (Canada) volunteer during Summer Fun month of May.

Mom (Marilyn) said something very true during one of our staff meetings in February. The boys who stole were not bad, the decisions they made were bad. This is so true. We are all good people. We are all faced with decisions. Unfortunately sometimes we make bad ones. I guess that is our goal as One!. We want to give people the tools and knowledge they need to make good decisions in life. We can’t expect people to always make the right decision, but we have to only hope that we can help them to make the right decision most of the time. We need to appreciate when they do. We need to stay positive. We need to push on. We need to stay strong… we need to never give up!

Thank you for your continued support and love for the families of Khar Danda and Nallasopara. Thank you for your belief in the goals of One!.

Tania

For more information on One! International: www.one-international.com/

Back in Vancouver

4 months of cyber-silence... Oops. Again, my lack of long distance communication skills outweighed my desire to share this extraordinary experience with you. I apologize to the few of you who were still looking at my blog periodically, hoping for a new entry – if I can call it a blog?! In my defense, Internet in India was very slow so it was taking me hours to update my blog and I am not very good at waiting patiently in front of a computer when I know that there is so much to experience and learn in the real world.

What happened since my last entry? A lot!!!!! I continued to work with One! in Nallasopara until December, then went to Goa (again!) to celebrate my birthday and enjoy the sun and “el calor” before heading up North, where I traveled for a month with Caro and Annie (two friends from Montreal). We went to Delhi, McLeod Ganj, Amritsar, Attari (India-Pakistan border), Rajasthan (Bikaner, Pushkar, Jaipur), Agra to see the Taj – had to see it! – and Varanasi.

I had a wonderful time traveling in India but the more I was seeing, the more I realized I would be unable to see. For me, traveling is all about the opportunity to wander areas, talk and interact with people trying to learn as much as I can about their culture and the way they live, which usually takes time. There is a limited number of monuments and sights I can take and I usually prefer having a great discussion than spending an afternoon in a museum or a temple – with a few exceptions, of course. I tried to enjoy every places I visited as much as I could but because I wasn’t traveling solo, I sometimes had to compromise. I guess I just realized that I can have a much richer experience by visiting fewer places but spending more time in each of them, rather than rushing between places, trying to fit everything in. But this is me and we all travel differently.

Many people have said that traveling in India can be challenging. Maybe… From the moment you arrive, the country launches an assault on your senses - particularly true in larger cities or during summer or monsoon season. The noises, heat, smells and the crush of people, many screaming for your attention, either out of curiosity or to sell you something, can sometimes be overwhelming. Nothing in India happens quietly! But adaptation is one of human’s best skills so after a few days, the body adjusts to the heat, the smells disappear (almost!) and the lack of personal space becomes less disturbing, almost comforting. In fact, being part of the everyday clamour is what I miss the most about my Indian life.

The warmth of Indian people is probably the main reason why I became enchanted with the country in the first place. In each place I visited, I found a great generosity of spirit and a general cheerfulness, making me feel very welcome. Another delight of traveling in India is that you are constantly approached by complete strangers who want to engage in conversations. Sometimes it was tiring to explain 26 times a day that my name is Sofie, I am 29 years old and come from Canada - and no, I am not married and don’t have children - but I found the ease and frankness with which people approached me very charming. At an individual level, people seem to have a tremendous ability to accept life’s trials and tribulations which I admire – this is probably due to Hindu ideas about faith but this is not the time and place to start discussing religion.

So, from my experience, India is an easy country to visit. You don’t have to do a lot of planning because schedules don’t mean anything anyway. The journey may not always run exactly as expected but everything always work out in the end. At first, it can be hard to find information about how to get around or how things work but all this information is easily accessible by asking people. Indians are so friendly –perhaps too?!- that they always are willing to help even when they have no idea of what you are talking about. This can be problematic as, sometimes, they give random directions just because they want to help you so badly and they know that it is what you expect from them. But once I realized that I had to ask not only one person, but many to verify and corroborate what others had told me, everything went on smoothly. I know it is dangerous to generalize and I don’t want to fall into the trap of over-eulogizing; like everywhere else, there is both good and bad in India. Overall, I think India can be an incredibly powerful, warm and inviting country to travel once you have learned to stay flexible and patient.

My work with One! – the main reason of my trip – has been beyond all my expectations. Before I left, I remember that a friend who has done a lot of volunteer work abroad told me that I would find it hard to adjust to the Indian life. He also said that I shouldn’t expect any changes from the work I was going to do. I didn’t agree with him at that time and I still don’t. He was worried; I was hopeful. Yes, I am a little naïve and idealistic but the world looks a lot better that way! With the little distance I now have, I think I overcome the culture shock smoothly. I have been lucky to adapt that easily. I had no expectations when I started my work with One!, I only wanted to live something new and contribute to a project I believe in, which I did. I also feel I made a difference during my 4-months stay with One! I don’t have the pretension to think that I changed the life of the children I was working with but I definitely think I played a positive role in their lives. Seeing Kushboo (10 years old) opening up to me after two months of hard work, the children slowly accepting and helping Vijay (either mentally challenged or suffering from severe foetal alcohol syndrome), the joy in Sarita, Ajay and Parvin’s eyes when I came back in January or Jayanti who asked me to stay because she couldn’t see herself dealing with the family issues on her own are small things that add up and make me think my work with One! was useful and appreciated. But the most important is what they all gave me - the children, the staff, Tania, Josh and Avi - and that, I will never forget. I am especially thankful to Tania, One!’s founder and president. She helped me so much throughout my stay in India, providing me support and friendship. She shared so much with me. She was always there to answer my questions about the school, the children and the Indian culture. My experience in India wouldn’t have been the same without her. I truly admire her work and commitment toward the children and their family. She made me believe in her project and in a better world. Yes, I’m becoming a little emotional and cheesy here!

In retrospect, what would I have done differently? While traveling, I would have stayed longer in places like Varanasi or McLoead Ganj to maybe skip Jaipur and/or Pushkar. No, I didn’t really enjoyed Rajasthan. I found it too touristy and it doesn’t live up to its reputation, according to me. I also would have loved to ski or hike in the North and volunteer in Kalkota – which were both part of my initial itinerary. Overall, I would just have stayed longer in India… but that wasn’t possible this time. After four months working with One!, I was just starting to understand how the organization works and to get the trust of the students and their families. It is hard to have a long lasting impact in such a short period of time. I feel I have still a lot to learn and explore in India but I have no regrets. I would just love to go back.

Best places: Bombay (of course!) because I stayed long enough to settle down and be part of the city’s everyday life. I also met extraordinary people there, including One!’s staff. During my first few weeks in India, I remember that a few expats told me that Bombay was an incredible city and that they could easily see themselves live there forever. At that time, I didn’t understand. Why? Bombay is super hot, polluted, and dusty, plus the omnipresent poverty makes me feel guilty. When I came back in January, it hit me. I felt home and I realized that I could easily see myself living in the vibrant city.

Best activity: traveling on public transportation, especially local and regional trains, because it allowed me to meet many interesting people. Taking the train in India is a unique experience. It helped me to learn about the culture and thus to better appreciate the country. And of course, working in Nallasopara!

Best singular moment: hard! I hate those questions that force me to pick only one aspect of a specific experience so here are a few stories:

1. The night procession of the Sikh Holy book, Golden Temple. The Temple is surrounded by a pool of water considered holy by Sikhs - it is said to have cured diseases of devout followers. Inside the relatively small temple, priests and musicians take their turns throughout the day chanting scripture from the book, which is broadcast on loudspeakers throughout the complex and on cable tv throughout India. Every night, the Granth Sahib (Holy book) is carried in procession along the bridge to its "bed" in the Akal Takht, the seat of the Sikh parliament. Within the Hari Mandir, the scene is fascinating. A crowd of fervent and solemn devotees (with only a few foreigners, luckily) follow the ceremony reciting mantras. The dim light reflecting on the Temple, the silence of the night and the melody of the chants create a serene ambiance filled with the fervour and candour of thousands of professed believers. Magical! For about 1.5 hours, I felt like I was in another world; a world of stupendous beauty and sublime peacefulness.

2. One afternoon in Santhosh Bawan I made kites with the children and then, we all went to fly the kites we had just made. I wasn’t very at it good but Anil, Ajay and Jitu taught me and I learned slowly. Seeing the light in their eyes as they were playing in the field made me realize that we don’t need much to be happy. They were happy and I was happy.

3. When I went back to Nallasopara in January, Ajay, Vijay and Manorama (all siblings) were not coming to school anymore. Vijay was just wandering in the street of Santosh Bavan and Manorama and Ajay were selling garlic on the street (which is almost like begging) with their mom. They were my favourite children, probably because life isn't easy for them: physical and verbal violence, parental negligence and hunger are omnipresent in their lives. One afternoon, I went home with Ajay –the oldest- and found Manorama locked inside her house. I spent an hour playing outside with them (jumping over the open sewage, racing, and other games we thought them at the school). Later that day, I met their parents and with the help of Mahendra – one of the school full time teacher – we convinced them in the children's best interest to come back to school. Unfortunately, this was only a half-victory as the mom wanted at least one of Manorama or Ajay to help her at work, the other could come to school and Vijay would be there everyday. The next day, both Vijay and Ajay showed up at 9 AM, clean and wearing their nicest clothes. They were so proud and happy to be back. I didn’t see Manorama again after that day but I talked to Tania and she told me that Vijay and Ajay are still coming to school everyday. Vinita (social worker) is working hard to help the family with its issues, hoping that Manorama will be back to school before the end of the year.

So after five incredible months in India, I’m back in lovely Vancouver. The “best place on earth” according to my good friend Gordon Campbell! I’m happy, healthy and no, I didn’t come back too skinny. In fact, I must be the only person who managed to gain weight in India. Thanks to my strong immune system, samosas and other delicious kinds of street food but most of all, Reshma’s overuse of oil and potatoes.

Life is keeping me busy here. Between my freelance work, my distance-ed class and my work in the Downtown eastside, I don’t have a lot of free time, unfortunately. As usual, I have many projects in mind but they all remain uncertain. Wait, wait, wait and see where the future will lead me. Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George (oui, Price George), Ottawa or maybe somewhere else in the vast world… I try to keep a positive attitude and will see ;)

Hope to see you all verrry, verrry soon.
Lots of love.

Sofie XX

Le trio!

McLeod Ganj/Dharamsala: the house of the Tibetan Government in exile and residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Unfortunatly, we didn't get a chance to see him during our short stay in McLoead Ganj. However, we were there for the International Himalayan Festival that commemorate the Dalai Lama's Nobel prize with cultural events. A festive ambiance while we were there. Indians and Tibetans live side by side in McLeod Ganj, with Tibetans probably making up the majority of the population.

One-day treck up Bagsu, a quieter and less busy part of McLeod Ganj. We were at first suppose to stay there but everything is closed during the low season.

Golden Temple: literally a temple made of gold, is considered the most important shrine in Sikhism. The site is a meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages. I expected it to be packed with foreign tourists, which wasn't the case at all.

Bikaner (Rajasthan) where we did a 2-days camel trek in the desert.

With Pepe Sanchez, my beloved camel.

Does this photo need explanation...

Varanasi: the city of life (and death). Many Hindous spend lifetime planning and saving for the visit they hope to someday pay to the holy city. A journey to Varanasi is of specific significance: dying there is said to liberate Hindus from the endless birth-death cycle attendant to the repeated reincarnation in which they believe. The city is equal parts chaos and vibrancy.

More pictures of One!'s children:

Little Vijay and his brother and sister, Ajay and Manorama:

Goa: palm-fringed beaches and more liberal attitude

Since I came back from Goa - almost a month ago now - I try to force myself to add another entry to my blog, but as you all probably know... without success! There are so many places to see, things to do and people to have a great discussion with that I find it very hard to stay inside for a couple of hours just to update my blog. But you were probably all aware of my lack of long distance communication skills before I left!

Anyway, I won't write much this time but rather send a few pictures from my short stay in Goa; which is nothing like the Caribbean as you will see. But Goa is quite distinct from the rest of India: the people display an easy-going tropical indulgence and skirts far outnumber saris. An interesting compromise between the Western way of living and the Indian culture. The best of my Goa trip: eating seafood! It was good to have a break from Reshma's vegetarian cooking (Reshma is the young girl who comes to cook for us 6 days a week). Was the food the main reason that brought me to India?!

Baga: the quiet beach was perfect for our short holiday!

Small shops right behind our guest house

The beach: as you can see, the sky in Goa is not crystal-blue but rather smoggy-gray. Luckily, it wasn't like that everyday!

The beach - Again!!!!!

And again - with Amy and Caro (two other volunteers)

Right before the high season (November to January) many shacks are built everyday. It was quite stange to see the beach changing so fast during our short stay in Baga.

Rubbish, rubbish and rubbish - obviously not excluded from Goan beaches...we are still India!!!!

From Bombay to Nallasopara

Everything is still going amazingly for me in Bombay. For the past three weeks, I've been working in Santosh Bhavan Sherma Wadi; a small rural community located in the suburb of Nallasopara, 2 hours away from Bombay. That means I have to travel 4 hours every day in a crowded train and leave at 7:30 am to get there around 9:30 am. For those of you who picture a Via Rail kind of train, it's not quite exact. The trains are old, rickety and have carriages exclusively for women. Catching the train is an adventure on its own. As everywhere else in India, no rules apply when you get on or out the train. Every morning, I am caught in a jungle of women who fight and shout at each other because - I assume - they are scared of missing the train, or simply want to get a seat. This is the only time when I'm happy to not understand Hindi! My lack of agressivity often leaves me waiting patiently on the platform until the crowd picks me up and dumps me inside –literally! But I love the local train. It is, according to me, the center of Bombay’s life and I think, one of the best ways to learn about the city. During my train journey, I have the opportunity to see the sun rise above Bombay and the city waking up slowly. It gives me the opportunity to witness hidden sides of the Indian culture, including various aspects of everyday life, and share unique moments with different types of people - especially women whom I usually don't get a chance to talk to because Indian streets are dominated with men. On the train I feel like I can experience "the real India" - if there is such a thing - with all its contradictions.

I still love my work with One! Nallasopara's school is One!'s newest school and has no proper facilities, a missing toilet and, most of the time, non-existent electricity... Verrry, verrry challenging, especially when I have to teach exercise to a group of 20 children when 35 degrees outside (and probably 50 in the school). Everything has to be done there which I find extremely interesting although it is not easy to adapt working with the Indian staff. Let say that efficiency is not part of the Indian vocabulary; at least, not as we define it in North America. My first impression was that the teachers I work with rarely take the fastest route to get things done but I slowly realized that they usually end up with the expected results anyway so everything end up to work fine at the end of the day. What to do?! I try to keep that in mind when I notice something that makes absolutely no sense to me. Be patient Sofie Didi! In other words, I am learning to work the Indian way and try my best to respect every aspects of it.

Santosh Bhavan is not a slum but I first thought the opposite because of the lack of infrastructures and the open sewage passing right in front of the school. The people living there have permanent houses (or I should say bungalows) and most of them come from surrounding villages - in Maharashtra, Gujurat and Madhya Pradesh - and thus observe more traditional values. They moved to Nallasopara in order to find work in Bombay but couldn't afford to live in the city. I'm probably the first Westerner they've ever met; therefore, I get a lot of attention during my 15 minutes walk to the school. But as time goes, the residents of Santosh Bhavan are becoming friendlier and seem to slowly accept my presence in their neighbourhood. The looks I get are changing from animosity to curiosity; which I’m totally fine with. It’s a good start!

Half of my students go to "private school" in the afternoon so they are more disciplined and a little better in Maths, Hindi and Science, but not in English. As I understand, Indian's School are very strict and value memorization rather than understanding. As a result, the children know how to spell and write complicated English words but have no clue of what I'm saying when I ask them "What colour?" Beside my teaching duty, I often help with record keeping, writing, scheduling, or anything else I can do to help Tania on the administrative level. I also started to organize and implement the rudimentary medical services to be provided at the school. During the past two weeks, I shared my knowledge of first aid with the Indian staff and tried to educate the children on basic hygiene and nutrition. For example, I taught them that there is not point of putting a band-aid on a wound if we don't wash it and disinfect it before doing so. It probably sounds obvious for all of you but it is not common practice here. The children now have to wash their injured area with soap and water (provided by the school) before coming to see me so that I can look at it properly. But still, the only thing that interests most of them is to get a band-aid and a little bit of attention... children will always be children!

Overall, I think I am adapting quite well to my new life in Bombay even though it is not always easy to live with 5 other people in a one bedroom apartment. No, not a lot of privacy! However, what I find the most difficult here is to see young children begging on the street… and it is even harder not to give them money. The problem is that most of them are not as poor as they look like but put on dirty clothes and rent babies - yes, rent babies - in order to collect more money. And even if the child is really in need, the money he earns usually goes to his alcoholic parent or even worse, to someone who hires him for a few rupees. Knowing this doesn't help me to become less sensitive to the problem and it still breaks my heart to see them and imagine that they might be living on the street. Guilt would be the word that best express how I feel: I feel guilty for not giving money to all the beggars who ask me to do so, guilty for knowing that it wouldn’t be enough and guilty for not having the power and resources to do more for them… but this something I’ll have to deal with alone... or simply get use to? Probably not but this is only due to my personlaity. Again, what to do?!

On Wednesday, I am going to Goa for a 5-days holiday. Nothing on the program except relaxing on the beach and swimming in the ocean. I'll send pictures when I get back!

Sofie XX

Chowpatty Beach in Bombay: not exactly the best place for a sunbathe or a dip!

A view of Chowpatti Beach and Downtown Bombay

Bandra St: where I take the train every morning

Only to show you that Bombay is also a beautiful city with amazing promenades

Santosh Bhavan Sherma Wadi (Nallasopara): shaky bungalows, mud and cows everywhere

Nallasopara: the school

Nallasopara: the children

The school playground: not exactly what we are use to in Canada but the kids still have a lot of fun

Some videos:
Train


Nallasopara: on our way to the school