Arriving at the playing field, we were as usual greeted by our little girl friend, but accompanied by her friends. Like all Indian children, they are obsessed by having their photos 'snapped'. But imagine the smile on our faces, when they were prompted by me for a bit of Jai-Ho and serenaded us off the field with a coordinated acceptable effort of the Slumdog dance.
The resourcefulness of the children never fails to impress: class 6 have been chucked out of their 'work in progress' class room while the floor is being laid. Solution, much like the age old jape of moving one's friend's room en masse into the garden, move all the desks and chairs out to the lower play ground and carry on lessons as normal. Faultless. Good thing it isn't the rainy season.
On teaching class 4 about gravity: "so why when I throw a rock in the air does it fall again?" Quick as a flash from the ever enthusiastic Prashant: "It doesn't have wings!". Again, faultless.
Sarah and I have been amused by the positioning of the top floor commode in our house. Positioned as a stand-alone entity in the corner of the roof overlooking the school, it really does look more like a sentry post. Ironically over a school called 'Kids' Castle'... One wonders whether when we are not here it is manned by diligent prefects, taking shifts with the shared AK.
Prayers. Bizarrely the prayers each morning at assembly are both in English AND Christian. Of course, it is lead by a senior pupil at the front, and then recited back by the rest of the school. Needless to say, the little ones in LKG (Lower Kindergarten, age 4) have absolutely no idea what they are saying or why. One little boy believes that the route to a happy form teacher is to belt it out as loud as he can. Hilarious, but not as much as listening to the instruction "hands down" at the end of the prayer, which is also repeated parrot fashion!
Parsuram teaching forces this morning: "This door will not open unless I exert a force on it." Oh how the kids, followed by me, and shortly after, Parsuram, laughed as, on cue, the door swung itself open apparently under the influence of no force at all. Timing is everything.
Along with prayers, each assembly sees a teacher giving some cringeworthy talk on a moral topic that is usually totally misguiding and blinkered. This morning's was all about God, and how the children should love him for giving them everything they have; that they did not need to go in search of God because he was all around us and in us (cue the headmaster closing his eyes and giving one of his most wilting worshipful looks!). As the talk closed, the next topic was the Puja festival production. From the deputy headmaster: "There will be a professional choreographer, and the parts for Superman, Spiderman and Mickey Mouse are already cast. They do need a Tarzan though, so anyone who wants to be Tarzan please see Miss Kalyeni, who will tell you all about him and his costume." I can only imagine that God was laughing as hard as us at the juxtaposition.
And finally: an extra English lesson given by SirGiles and SheiraMiss to class three as their teacher wasn't around. Talking about shapes, Sarah drew a heart on the blackboard. "What do we call this shape?" The response: "Love, miss!". Melts your heart.
Pictures:
Class 6 and their al fresco classroom.
The girls half of our running partners.
Class 3 enjoying a volcano demonstration. It's amazing what you can do with Fanta and baking powder. How to win friends an influence!
Toilet sentry post. Patrol and squat!
Parsuram in charge of class 4 science.
What fun , just off to find some Fanta and baking powder
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