Thane

Just a note to let you know that we were well south of where Thane blew through. A few small trees down here, but nothing major. The internet is even still up!

On the beach in Chennai before Christmas

Children's Day - November 20

The students made sand and chalk decorations for Children's Day. Beautiful but temporary art.

Overnight Train Ride

Most weeks, school is six days each week with Sunday off. Once each month, we have both Saturday and Sunday free. Because we have limited time to travel, I got this idea: On Friday, take the overnight train to Mysore (lovely town, unfortunate name) where we could see the Raj’s palace and tour on Saturday, then take the overnight train back to Chennai on Saturday night – which would give us Sunday to recover before school Monday. I bought the tickets, but as the date drew closer I realized we would have to carry all our luggage all day and that we would sleep badly for two nights before heading back into another long week. But we persevered. We kept our provisions low (even sliced a novel in half to cut the weight). The trip was much more successful that I had feared. May enjoyed the elephant ride and Aven was pleased to get good noodles at a hotel restaurant. I made a loud scene (very embarrassing to May) over being asked to pay a bribe to allow us to take cameras into the palace. Cameras are technically not permitted inside. However, when we got into the palace, the vast majority of Indian tourists were taking pictures with their phones. We refrained because, after the scene I caused, I did not want to give anyone a reason to hassle us. So, we have only 'outside the palace' pictures to share. Aven and May were in good spirits and loved the train rides.

Aven refuses to smile for photos - but he is looking more grown up. May is naturally photogenic.

The Maharaja's Palace

May and I on the elephant with the palace int he background.

Beautiful tree. I think the purple flowers might be a vine covering the actual tree. But it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Goofing around. The train car has the words "LIFT HERE" painted near the middle of the car. May and Aven are trying to follow that instruction.

Loved this sign because the symbol for "women" is a figure wearing a sari rather than a dress.

Wedding

Our internet was out for over two weeks! We are relieved to be back online. I have added snapshots from a wedding reception -- which takes place before the actual wedding and entails a ritual of its own. I very much enjoyed learning first-hand about marriage in south India and was delighted to meet the family. They were welcoming and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. The vast majority of marriages are still arranged (as was this one) but couples are waiting until their late 20's to marry -- much like in the US.

Meryl Streep

I've been meaning to post this picture for awhile. Did you ever wonder what Meryl Steep does in her spare time? Now you know.

Morning Assembly

Morning assembly lasts somewhere between 25 and 45 minutes. Students stand at attention for much of the time at all grade levels. Students say morning prayers and even sing the national anthem daily. Their lines must be straight and teachers spend a surprising amount of time making sure morning assembly is properly done. The reason so much emphasis is placed on things like 'standing in a straight line' is that Indian culture dictates that good personal discipline leads to academic and personal success. The morning assembly is a demonstration of personal discipline.

Students wear white uniforms on Wednesday and blue and white the other days. On a cool day, the low is 85 and the high is in the low 90's. On hot days, the temperature hits the upper 90's. It is usually right around 90 degrees in the morning. Most of the time students are in the shade, but no special compensation is made if they are standing in the direct sun.

How to Make Photocopies in India

This is a special posting for my Hazel Park colleagues, who are struggling to manage with only one photocopier in a building for almost 1,000 students.

I compose a test and want to copy it. First, I have to print it out, which requires a trip to the computer lab where the printer is kept. No paper is kept in the printer, and the computer teacher has to be tracked down to get a couple sheets. After printing, I take the original to the department head, who is a teacher and is often unavailable. She has to accompany me to the exam room, where the paper is kept. She gets out the ledger where the paper consumption is recorded. She writes down 70 sheets for a test while I count the blank copy papers. Next, I have to take the original and the paper to the vice-principal, who is also a busy person. He has to approve and initial the paper. Then, I find one of the office staff because teachers do not use the copier. The staff member will make the copies and bring them to my room within an hour or so.  This process takes, on average, three days to complete. It requires at least 30 minutes with all the time spent finding people. Also, tests should be reused and everything is double sided. Students write answers on a separate paper. Most teachers don't make copies. They dictate  questions orally and students write the _questions_ and the answers. Basically, teachers do not copy anything during the normal course of teaching. All notes are written on chalk boards and many things are dictated. Students have extremely high stamina for writing. Whew!

P.S. Exams are all copied. The exam is written over a week ahead and sent out for copying.

Modern Machines

Idly (pronounced like Freud's "Id" with an -ly on the end) and dosa (pronounced doe-sah) are the two staple 'breads' here. Most people are familiar with Indian Naan and roti, which is available but not traditional in the south. Both idly and dosa are made with the same batter of rice and dal (lentils, peas or beans). Idly and dosa are high in protein and carbs. They require grinding the rice and dal into a paste with water. The grandparents were doing this by hand while raising their children, but now a machine does the hard work. Here is the equipment for making the batter.

The old way -- stone tools now stored on a shelf.

The new way -- put the grains in with water and presto!

Close up of the grinder.

Holiday Decorations

We had a delightful tea at the home of our German teacher, Mrs. Radha. At this holiday time, statues of Gods are displayed and guests are welcomed with treats and treasures.

Our host with her daughter who captivated May by entertaining her in her bedroom and then taking her shopping!

The Gods are in order with the most important on the top.

The top Gods.

The middle tier

The lowly Gods, including the kitchen and household Gods.

Greens

Most of the time, we eat at home. Children do not have flexible palates, and we can make the “chicken or fish, noodles or rice and familiar vegetable” meal that they will eat. I am not a skilled cook, and I do not recognize most of the vegetables in the market. This leads to a monotonous diet. However, Carl gets five gold stars for making sauces with amazing spices. I miss salads, though. We can get Baskin Robbins just like home at the nearby mall. The Subway is not exactly like home, but close enough. 

When we are riding the commuter train home from school, vendors are often selling their wares from car to car. Last week, I saw a woman waving a fistful of nice looking greens. I asked the woman seated next to me what they were. She said leeks. I am sure they are not leeks, but smile and nod anyway. She added that the stems are removed and the leaves boiled in a small amount of water. Like spinach! I bought a bunch for about a quarter.

To prepare foods, we clean them as best we can. A practical training session by Fulbright included a useful bit about food preparation. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) can be used to kill germs and other nasty things on fresh food. We add a single crystal of KMnO4 to a pan of water. It dissolves and turns the water pink. The veggies are submerged for 5 minutes and rinsed in clean water. Presto! After that, I peel what can be peeled (apples, mangos, carrots) and cook everything else (potatoes, carrots, my new mystery greens). So far so good. The mangos are out of season, but I buy them anyhow. The bananas and papaya are great. Pomegranate is readily available and tasty too. 

We had mystery greens again this week. I got two bunches from the same woman on the train. 

Photos of Aven and May

Did I mention that she likes pink?

Ignoring having a photo taken

Chalk Drawings

 People frequently make lovely designs on the sidewalk or street outside their front doors. They do this to bring favorable luck and to ward off undesired forces. The chalk drawings are walked on and disappear as the day goes by. They are sometimes refreshed in the evening. Most are simply with white chalk, but some use colored chalk or colored powder sprinkled into the design. Here is a sampling.

The kids' feet in their school uniform shoes

Hospital Visit

The kids and I walked into the hospital with Stephen, who was visiting and came down with a fever of 103 and digestive ‘issues’ just two days before departure. I did not want him on the plane if he had dengue fever or malaria – which could get frighteningly worse during the trip. We were in search of blood tests.

The nurse asked for the nature of the problem. She listened and then directed us to office number 2. The nurse came in and took vitals. Oddly, no one had yet asked him to fill out any forms. A hospital without forms? The stickers on the wall were for human rabies vaccines.

The doctor came in within five minutes and asked for Stephen’s name. “Mr. Stephen” was all she wrote on the paper. She listened carefully to the story and ordered the tests he wanted and suggested a test for “rat fever” – which was a new one to both of us. We were then shown to the lab, which was actually a lab. On the counters were half-filled bottles of solutions, a centrifuge and various pieces of glassware. The room had a computer desk and one chair for the patient. Most interesting were the eight jars on the top shelf with small human fetuses in preservative. The jars were of various sizes and they looked like they had a layer of wax to seal the tops. The specimens were probably around eight inches long, but they were curled in the expected fetal position. Not something you see every day. I would have taken a picture, but I did not want to be macabre. In retrospect, given that displaying them was acceptable, a photo would probably have been OK. The man at the computer said the tests would cost 1,500 rupees ($33) and wanted to make sure he still wanted them. Yes, absolutely.

After the blood draw, we were asked to wait 30 minutes. We were directed back to the waiting area. The cashier counter was in the waiting area, and a man collected the testing fees but did not ask for Stephen’s name. Then, we waited. Did I mention that the hospital did not have air conditioning? The kids mentioned this a number of times during the wait. The tests came back 30 minutes later – all negative. We were asked to go to the doctor’s office again. Her diagnosis was Montezuma’s revenge – though that was not the term she used. She added five drug names to the same paper where she had written “Mr. Stephen” and the order for the tests. She explained each medicine and wrote the dosages and durations. Then, she handed Stephen the paper and we were free to go. This means that the hospital did not have any record of Stephen’s name anymore. He paid for the office visit, 100 rupees ($2.20), and walked to the pharmacy counter. The drugs were under $10. In case you were counting, the total cost (including immediate consultation with the doctor, blood testing, antibiotic and anti-protozoan, Tylenol and pro-biotics to mitigate the effect of the antibiotic) was under $45 USD. Not to mention the value of a great story. Stephen is now back in the US and is completely recovered.

Favorite sign: “Leprosy is completely curable.” This was a public service poster.

Ladies' Car of the Commuter Train

Harassment of women is more frequent and more acceptable than in the US. Only a couple generations ago, widows threw themselves on their husbands’ funeral pyres, and I am thankful for the progress that has been made for women. However, a Ladies’ Car is currently needed to reduce the opportunities for harassment. Women are permitted to ride the other cars, but generally only do so when they are with a man. Accompanying boys may ride with their moms in the Ladies Car into the early teen years; Aven is OK to be with me there.

One morning on the way to school, May, Aven and I boarded the Ladies Car with half a dozen women. Inside, the car was full of men. A woman leaned out to make sure we had not mistaken the car and then the train left the station. I think what happened is that a man or two mistakenly got on the ladies car at the first or second stop and then other men just got on. I suspect the men don’t read the outside of the car, but just get on a car if they see other men. One of the women went over to a group of four seated men and asked them to give up their seats because this was a ladies car. The men got up and some of us sat down. I figured I would just keep my mouth shut and see how this played out. This was an excellent anthropological moment.

At the next stop, more women got in. One young woman (early 20’s probably) announced loudly that the men needed to get in a different car because this was the ladies car. A number of men scurried off, but most did not. When the train pulled away from the station, she went around to all the men – who are seated in little groups on the seats – and told them they needed to change cars at the next stop. A number of women followed her around and stood with her while she gave her instructions. At the next stop, most of the men got off and more women got on. A few stubborn men did not move. Well, the young woman really let them have a piece of her mind before the next stop. All but one got off then. That last one got a good-old-fashion shouting and finger pointing session before the next stop. I thought we might start hitting him with our purses shortly. He did get off at the next stop – without apology. I particularly enjoyed the camaraderie and the congratulations that the women had once the last male was jettisoned. I told her I thought she had done a nice job – which she had.

When I related the story to my colleagues at school, one said, “Young women these days are very bold.” Yes, they are, and it is inspiring to watch. You go girl!

Public Speaking

Imagine this is a US school: An optional speech writing competition for student in grades 7-12. Write and deliver a three-minute speech on a chemistry topic. No special prizes are offered, just the honor of winning the competition and then getting to present again at a regional competition. Not getting any imaginary takers, are you?

Well, in India, about a dozen students signed up right away. Then, when they realized they would get to read it into the microphone in front of the school during assembly, the number jumped to forty students by the end of the day. One of the teachers suggested that Aven read one. I said that was unlikely because the only thing Americans fear more than public speaking is death. She looked at me strangely.

Today, ten students waited eagerly to give their speeches. The vice-principal declared that only three speeches would be made today for the sake of time, but four people presented anyhow. We will listened to a few speeches each day this week. Anyone who does not present will have to present to me in the chemistry lab after school. (I am the judge.) They are very disappointed not to speak to the school. Several have stopped me in the hallway to see if I can pull some strings so they can be among the lucky few to speak at the assembly.

Seeing so many students eager to hear their own voices over the microphone, I realized again how culture is invisible until it is changed. I would have thought that adolescents inherently cringe at making a speech to their peers. No so.

Disposable

I bought the kids each a backpack. They were cheap – 275 rupees ($5.80). Not surprisingly, after a couple weeks, they were both badly ripped and one zipper was broken. I had noticed a guy at a little stall with a sewing machine surrounded by backpacks in my meanderings, and I went to him. I had to wait about half an hour because there were so many people needing his services. But, in about five minutes, he had sewn up the backpacks and fixed the zipper for a total of 20 rupees (55 cents). At home, I would have thrown both of them out and bought new ones – more expensive and built to last. Here, a man makes a tidy living with his heavy-duty sewing machine, which looked like it was built before the war, and backpacks get fixed. He said it was not even a busy night.

Excellence

I dissolved Styrofoam in acetone and got an audible gasp from my 11^th grade class. They were really amazed. Teaching students who are not embarrassed to be 'into' school is a wonderful change. The culture here is one of excellence. The top students are most respected by both peers and faculty. The value is on high achievement. Low performers feel very bad about their inabilities. India is such a switch from the US. Apathy is not a way of life here. Students are really pleased to be recognized by the teacher for their high scores on tests or for good answers in class. They really want to do well. They find satisfaction in learning well.

In the US because many students feel that academic praise lowers their status among peers and doing badly makes them look cool. What a rude shock our society is going to get over the next few decades as US students enter academia and the job market with Indian students to find how pampered and lazy they appear by comparison. People in India commonly work six days per week, too. Market forces are will not be kind to those with anemic skills and weak work ethics. After a few generations of privilege, our children have forgotten that prosperity must be earned.

I followed the Styrofoam dissolving with flame tests; a salt solution is mixed with ethanol and lit.  I used copper (green flame), potassium (lavender flame) and strontium (red flame). They practically shouted "Thank you, Madame!" at the end of class -- which they say in unison as a matter of course. But their unusual enthusiasm communicated that they were appreciative and delighted. What would it take for US students to find internal motivation like that?

Food

I have found a delicious and relatively nutritious dessert. It is basically ground almonds with sugar and a little milk cooked together. Here is a recipe. http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/badam-katli.php

I would not bother with the step that reads “grind it finely” because “it” refers to 1 kg of almonds. Instead, opt for Trader Joe’s almond meal. It can also be made with cashews! This link has a great picture of the final product.

http://indianhotrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/kaju-katli.html

I have no idea how they get that shiny metallic look on top. I think a little coco powder or powdered sugar would be a great alternative. A kilogram of the cashew dessert runs 250 rupees ($5.50). That is 2.2 pounds! Some things are much more expensive here and many things are much cheaper.

We found imported Cheerios at an upscale store. They were $10 per box! I was prepared to buy them nonetheless because providing a familiar diet goes a long way to keeping children content. Aven said he would be fine with corn flakes – which are only about $3 per box because he thought $10 was crazy. I thought his concern was sweet.

We have also found a close proximity of American cheese. It comes in individually wrapped slices and passes the Aven test. The kicker is that it comes with a warning on the outside of the wrapper:   “Remove outer packaging before consumption.”

Leaving the wrapper on does not really change the taste, but removing it is easier on the digestion.

One last food story: The KFC was disappointing to Aven because it was not the same recipe as home; a little chili is added and perhaps a little sugar. May and I like it even better. However, we have now discovered a little food vendor in the food court of the local mall called “Arabian Hut” that has fried chicken and fries just like in the US of A. You can’t judge a book by its cover. 

Invigilation

“Invigilation” is the British word for “proctor.” This was the end of the semester exam week at school, and I did some invigilating. I picture John Cleese making some innuendo every time I hear ‘invigilate.’ We don’t invigilate our own exams. The exams are given to us and we go to the appointed room. The students are seated so close together that exams would be impossible, so two rooms of different grades are paired up and swap half the students so no one is sitting next to someone with the same exam. Reading and grading papers is verboten for the invigilator. It’s 90 minutes of daydreaming, watching for cheaters and handing out extra pieces of paper. Ninety minutes is a long time, as many teachers know, when you can’t do anything but watch students write and sweat. That’s even too long to keep myself occupied with a daydream (speaking of innuendo). I tried standing on one foot to see how long I could do it without falling over. (Six minutes for the right and five for the left.) The time does eventually pass.

Some things are so obvious that no one realizes I do not know. For example, the invigilator (Tell me you don’t think of Monty Python when you read that word!) is supposed to initial all exams when they are handed out and all extra papers when they are handed out. I suppose this is to eliminate the possibility of students having stolen the exam papers and writing the answers ahead of time? The students protested that I had not signed their exams or extra sheets. When I asked my mentor if this was really needed, she looked at me like I had asked which end of a fork to use. Of course the invigilator initials all the papers.

Next came the tedious grading. There are a few (less than 20) multiple-choice questions but no bubble sheet. The students just write the answers in the test booklet. Then there are another 20 or so questions that require answers of several sentences. Dawn Gafa trained me out of that type of test many years ago, and I have been grateful to her ever since. However, I think these tests were harder on the grader than even my old ones were. They set them up this way because the standardized tests the students take are in the same format!?! I guess where labor is cheap, a nation can make an incredibly hard to grade standardized exam?

Lost in Translation

Some things translate from one culture to another. Men's fashion, not so much.

Yes, that is an ascot.

Temple-gawking

Hindus got themselves a lot of Gods.

Each one has a story to go along with it. We heard several on the tour. Fascinating.

Basilica of St. Thomas, the doubter, whose remains were buried here -- until they were removed and taken to Rome. A relic that remains here is his finger bone. St Thomas was killed near here.

Jesus on a green lotus flower. This is my favorite statue yet. The gift shop did not have a copy (plastic or otherwise) and I think they are missing a unique sales opportunity.

Teachers Day

Teachers Day is September 5 each year. It commemorates the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was the first vice-president and second president of India.

On this day, the teachers come to school dressed up; I wore a sari for the first time. And, the seniors dress in saris also – instead of their uniforms because they teach our classes for the day! Students spend the say being taught by the older students and walking around giving out Teachers Day cards and red roses. It reminded me of a one-way Valentine’s Day. I had enough flowers to fill a vase and dozens of cards.

Seniors dressed up!

Teachers

Seniors teaching my chemistry class! They did a great job, too.

Teachers were individually recognized at a school assembly with two or three students giving cards especially for them. When the teacher went up to receive the cards, the students touched the teacher’s feet and then their foreheads as a sign of deep respect. The students also put on a show for the teachers – with traditional dance and poems of thanks.

My moment on stage during the assembly.

Traditional dance.

I am delighted to have seen this special day in India. The tremendous admiration and appreciation given to teachers is really touching. 

Me with my mentors, Mrs. Malar (left) and Mrs. Sitalakshmi.

Senior girls. Beautiful young women wearing amazing colors!

Onam

Onam is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the state of Kerala, which is also in the south of India. Our students made this beautiful mandala with flower petals in the entry hall of the school to mark the holiday.

Lord Ganesh Carolers

At about 10:30pm, we heard drums and horns playing loudly. When we looked outside, we saw a large statue of Ganesh, musicians, dancers and revelers. Ganesh was covered with so many flowers that I would have been unable to identify Him had it not been obvious – this being His birthday week. The statue was on a wagon pulled by a few men. Sitting with Ganesh on the wagon were some children and a man with offerings of flaming incense and food.  The entourage included dozens of merry-makers and a second vehicle – which carried the generator needed to power the powerful lights to illuminate the statue, musicians and dancers. People carried colorful flourishes and two men were present with a very long stick to push the wires up enough so the statue could pass underneath. An extremely loud bang startled us occasionally, which at first I thought was celebratory M-80’s but in retrospect might have been the generator backfiring.

The Ganesh "float"

Closeup of the float

This is a long stick with a Y tied on top to raise the electrical wires so the float can get underneath.

Accompaniment

The generator for the flood lights.

The revelers

Moments like this are like a bizarre vivid dream. I cannot quite figure out what is happening, but I feel the rush of the moment nonetheless.

I was given a handful of sugared corn and some jasmine flowers and a silk shawl was wrapped around me for the photographs. There was something about ashes from the ‘float’ but we could not figure that out. Lots of photos were taken. I think the shawl was needed because I ran out of the house in my “housecoat” and not a proper salwar or sari. Women here wear clothes to their ankles at all times. When I am in the house, I wear shorts and a T-shirt, but I keep my housecoat handy in case someone comes to the door. That is what I threw on when we heard the commotion. I’ve included a picture of just me in the housecoat for your amusement. When in Rome.

Many statues of Ganesh that have been specially made, decorated and are placed around the city near the street for this holiday, often with strings of lights, flowers and elaborate canopies. At the end of the festivities, the statues will be processed to the Bay of Bengal and thrown into the water; the clay returned to the sea.