11 Oct - Spoof

When we dangled the carrot of chai and a cake in front of the amateur thespians - cast for the school's foundation day play - if they had a great rehearsal session, little did we imagine that the occasion would be such an entertaining insight into children out here, or that they had such voracious appetites. I mean, they're none of them starved. And yet, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, as I ordered Sarah and I the smallest least unhealthy cakes at Snacks Bar I could, there was Abishek, from class 8, issuing instructions to the lovely chef for 9 Tukpas (saucy chow-mein) and 4 plates of momos!

The girls and boys had of course earned this treat: an hour on a makeshift stage at Pedong's playing field learning to pronounce, speak out, and add movement and humour to the play. They had definitely met their part of the deal.

There were some notable acts: Anisha adopting the role of servant perhaps a little too naturally, Sarita struggling to copy my over-emphasised introduction while in hysterics, Tanuja playing the part of the princess as if she were one, and Prashant, the naughty one from class 4, but so charming, funnelling all his energy into playing a particularly cheeky rock as the 'bad angel', clearly enjoying mixing it with the big boys and being challenged a bit more than usual. Heartwarming stuff.

So the boys: on receipt of vast steaming bowls of freshly made Tukpa, and plied plates, they went quiet, except for the occasional bark of "water" or "salt" (applied, like their sugar, extremely liberally). Soon the only evidence of their feast was spotless dishes, and the look of satisfied mouths.

On the girls' table however, a different story entirely. Opportunity for japes was being taken advantage of as one after the other, in cahoots with the rest of the crowd, they distracted their friends in order to not-so-surreptitiously add ladles of chilli sauce to their peers' dishes. Soon, 4 slightly perspiring girls, in fits of giggles, were screaming for water, but doggedly devouring the incandescent plates. As an Indian, you certainly don't share your food, but equally, neither do you dare not finish it. A different take on spoof perhaps, but how lovely to see the girls, all from different classes, sharing the game together with no trace of malice or excess... Meanwhile, Prashant smiles knowingly as he stands up to reveal the water he has just spilt all over himself- you can imagine where. And all after just telling us: "I'm so grown up"!

Pictures:

GB directing. Who'd have thought? And no-one's in a skirt!

Abishek and Saurov rehearse.

The boys. Prashant front left: work in progress for us as other teachers struggle to control him in lessons. Perhaps a spot of acting will focus his energy to something more productive.

The girls: R-L: Anisha, Sarita, Tanuja and Anuja. So much chilli for such little girls!