Friday #1 and Saturday #2

Have I really been here for an entire week? Already in complete denial about leaving a week from tomorrow. No length of time at SB will ever be enough for me.

YESTERDAY: Friday 

Fabian, a German volunteer who is about to begin studying in London to become a lawyer, offered to take my early morning prep with the 9^th and 10^th graders because it was his last day of teaching. After several early mornings in a row, I wasn’t going to argue, so I got to sleep in just a little bit, which was a nice change of pace. I taught Civics 6, where we covered the Nyaya Panchayat Village Government System, followed by History 10 and History 8, where I shadowed Caroline L. (there are two Carolines) on her last day of teaching. If you’re reading this, you’re probably realizing that I’m mentioning a lot about “last days of teaching.” Four volunteers have left within the past 12 hours… crazy!!  

After classes, I got ready for afternoon PT dance with the upper grade girls. I knew that by the end of Wednesday’s class, they were feeling like the contemporary dance might be a little too far out of their comfort zone, but I had prepared the rest of the choreography just in case. However, they ended up wanting to do a hip hop dance, which I wasn’t surprised by, and asked me to choreograph something to I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. I was working on the spot, but we got a chorus of movement done, and I’m working on some more to teach them on Monday. 

I bucket bathed quickly and got ready for evening prep, followed by a delightful dinner of rice and a sweetly pickled mixture of carrots and other veggies with the normal spicy broth. BUT, and this is the good part, volunteers were also given a fresh tomato and herb salad from the SB farms/gardens. The hardest thing for me about eating in India is that there is a serious lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, so this was ridiculously exciting. 

I headed to the dorms for bedtime stories, knowing it would be a difficult night because Caroline O. and Caroline L., the respective readers for the 1^st and 3^rd grades, were leaving. It was definitely difficult for them, as it is for any SB volunteer on their last night, but it helped that they had that final moment with some of the younger students to take pictures and say their goodbyes. Here are some of the shots we got (and some I got to be a part of!)

 

(Miss Caroline L. and the 3^rd grade)

(L. braids my hair nearly every night during bedtime stories)  

 
Because Marina (my roommate) and Fabian were also leaving, all of the volunteers stayed up to watch The Lion King together. A fine decision, indeed.

TODAY: Saturday

Marina and I woke up early to have a quick SB breakfast and see the business students off to their Goldman Sachs interview field trip. Four volunteers went with them, leaving just me, Marina, Fabian (Fabs), and Eduard (Edu) here at SB. Marina and Fabs still had to pack before Fabian’s dad, who lives and works in Bangalore, came to pick them up. I had promised the 5^th graders, which turned into the 5^th and 6^th graders, that I would take them on a morning nature walk, so I left Fabs and Marina to their own devices and headed back up to the school building. I had a wonderful morning playing around on the rocks with the kiddos.

Fabs and Marina sponsored a special morning snack of Fab Cookies, which the kids thought was perfect because of Fabian’s nickname, so after the nature walk, I helped them set them up on plates at each table in the dining hall. Fabs’ dad and a few of his friends showed up right before Saturday assembly, which was really special for Fabian. I then accompanied Marina, Fabian, and his family/friends on a final tour of SB until lunchtime. Dr. George had prepared a special lunch for Ms. Beena, Marina, Fabian, and Fabian’s guests and was generous enough to include me in it because I was the only volunteer at lunch. I was so incredibly grateful! We ate curried potato soup, seasoned greens, scrambled eggs with onions, and had the most delicious mango I’ve ever eaten for dessert. So special.

After lunch, I said goodbye to Fabian and Marina. It was really sad to see them go, but I’m glad I had that last special day to spend with them. We’ve already made plans for me to come visit them while they’re studying in England sometime in the next few years.

I’m looking forward to hearing all about the Goldman Sachs trip when the students and volunteers return tonight! I’m sure it was an amazing experience for all involved.

I'm off to Hosur tomorrow to shop and grab some good Indian food with a volunteer named Kathya, so I'm sure I'll have some fun tales when we return!