Day 13 – Saturday, March 15
Around noon, headed over to MS to get
some internet access time before the kids come around 3. Had lunch.
Today, the Rosewood School teachers are around to work with the kids
during the Saturday Special, we are just there to mostly be
available. Always something to do. Found a group of kids tossing a
tennis ball around, so I just went over and joined in. It's starting
to get hotter every day now. The mass of kids from around the slums
start entering the gates enmasse around 3:30. The all get together
and everything starts with the Hindi prayer. It's always interesting
to watch. The older ones focusing intently, the younger ones giving
it their best efforts. Omm , Shanti. Spiritually at peace.
Today, I take my time walking around
them, taking photos; catching the eyes closed, the hands raised in
prayer. One little boy senses me near, and opens his eyes, starts to
smile. When the prayer ends, Ajay comes over to ask if I would take
video of the activities today for the Rosewood School (their request
since they have seen me taking photos). I let him know I don't take
videos often (perhaps twice before, and then, just for practice).
Ajay being Ajay says no problem. So, me being me says no problem.
Video eats up battery; thankfully, I almost always carry an extra
battery in my pocket. All the kids and Rosewood people start
collecting kids and head off to do different things. I just start
making the rounds. The first is doing some imitation games; the
second, two girls from the school are teaching a bunch of the younger
girls what appears to be some Bollywood dance moves; a third group is
doing a sort of tag game; a fourth had two groups of six boys each in
a race where they sat in a long row, last boy running to the front
and it kept moving forward. The first set of boys to reach the
finish line wins; and finally, a volleyball game.
After that it was inside for everyone
to get a snack (in reality, equivalent to a typical lunch meal at MS
for us), with a vegetable stew, nom or rothi (bread), dahl (a ort of
lentil soup) and water. Trust me, this is good vegetarian food, and
it really fills you up. I walked the long lines of kids eating and
started taking photos; by this time, I had given up on taking video.
Some would start to crack up as they were eating and I was trying to
take pictures of them at the same time. I make a point of always
asking if I can take their photo because there are certain ones who
don't like it, whether it be for religious or personal reasons.
Sometimes, when they later see their friends laughing so hard for
their photo, they agree and ask me to take theirs too. It's just a
matter of time to get almost everyone. Sometimes they let me take
them if their friend is with them. It's all a matter of trust.
This Saturday was more special than
usual. Monday will be Holi, the festival of colors where everyone –
strangers and friends alike – throw colored paints through the air
getting it all over your face and clothes and anywhere it lands.
Over the years I have seen photos of this holiday and looked forward
to one day experiencing it myself. Well, today, March 15, the kids
had a chance to experience it early at the Saturday Special. They
didn't distribute the paints until the last half hour or so; good
thing or the entire afternoon would have been more crazy than it was.
I was the only volunteer that got “down and dirty” with the
kids. They all came running at me with their powdered paints, but
would stop and ask first if they could put it all over me. I
wouldn't have missed that for anything. My face and arms were
covered in purple and red paint. Jose (volunteer from Spain) just
happened to come around where we were and I got him to take a few
photos of me with the kids. I was rushed enmasse with kids and in a
matter of seconds we were like one big ball of humanity rolling on
the hard mud ground. It was a blast.
A bunch of us are invited over to
Becky's flat for dinner, so it's time to head back to take a shower
and change clothes. Becky has been away for a month, down in Goa
with her daughter. Dave Mayer is there, me, Jose, and the two
architect girls from Australia – Jo and Susanne. It was a nice
evening, just enjoying a chance getting to know each other more,
aside from the time spent at MS.
No comments:
Post a Comment