The funny thing is that this only sounded odd when we reflected on the moment over a cup of tea this afternoon! We have become so used to India's lackadaisical ways that the said words were spat more out of annoyance rather than concern; we're not sure what was in the water today but the kids have been driving us mad! A new moon perhaps...
I say lackadaisical but actually it's more lassez-faire; kids aren't wrapped in cotton wool, they just fend for themselves. If they get hurt then it's really just a case of Darwin working his magic: better luck next time.
As you know, we're in the throes of prop making for the Foundation Day play, and today the bamboo structures began to take shape. Prior to the session Giles and I envisaged students working under careful supervision with a mini hacksaw or two; but no, the machetes were quite literally in full swing by our cast of 9-13 year olds! But this is how they roll out here and it's so refreshing; an illegal weapon at home is simply a tool for the trade in India, they've been wielding them since the age dot!
Perhaps we really should give children more credit; they aren't stupid, they're just young. Of course I wish for no one to lose a finger, but the old mantra of learning from mistakes, or better still from good parental guidance, has to be the right way, doesn't it?
Here's another one. You should see the ancient see-saw in the playground. The stress fractures are everywhere and I'm sure that the sideways motion was not factored into the original design. Still, every morning we witness gatherings of children happily loading it with as much weight as possible. Whilst inadvertently learning about pivots and levers the kiddies mount the see-saw as if it were a moped (out here 4 people per steed is pretty common). With our fingers virtually poised on the emergency call button (still not sure if such a thing exists in India) we watch the morning routine, and yesterday we took the biggest gasp to date...
'How high can I bounce you?' That's what they were thinking as 2 children went head to head in the most violent bounce-off yet! The result: a perfect over the handlebars-style flip from the smaller boy. Now lying on his back on the narrow pole that is the see-saw, he simply rolled off, glanced back with a 'so that's what happens' kinda look and wandered off. No harm done but a valuable lesson learned.
I might do a UK-style risk assessment on the playground at KCS before we leave; should make for a hilarious read. Unfinished roofs upon which the kids play, missing floorboards, live wires hanging from the ceilings... I dread to think what a H&S inspector would say about chalk dust and the distinct lack of warning signage ;-).
... Oh and to think that we've seen no sign of any accident whatsoever in our 2 months here... Have we got it right at home?
Pics:
An overloaded see-saw...
Making the backdrops for the play...
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