Amardere bari-te aschben!

Rash
Now we are teachers! This week has been like refreshment. We have become old lady villagers in Serampore, taking Nani’s place in Monimala School and wandering in the sunshine whilst our beloved schoolchildren frolic around us tugging our hair and bringing us fish. Well, ok, no they haven’t brought us fish. But wouldn’t it be great if they did.

The sunshine bit and the old lady bit are true… and also we are now on our own which means cooking for ourselves rather than being fed to the gills like princesses. I have given Ana a lesson in the Indian spices! And she has cooked lunch! Cauliflower is in season and there are tiny little sweet red onions and then long thick green spring onions with flowers on the end, and potatoes are 6 rupees for half a kilo! You take a stroll in the evening stopping at your preferred subzi-wallah to get provisions. It is a vegetarian’s paradise. Also an eater’s paradise. We have been guzzling these rolls that everyone makes on the street stalls around this area, which are big round tasty parathas fried on massive black woks, with an egg cracked and fried on top of them, then stuffed with spicy chicken all mixed with chillies and onions. MMMMMgrmmmmmmm. You can have them without chicken too, fleshless people.

At school (we go in the mornings from 9.30-12.30) I have been teaching a class of children (bout 8-10 years old I think) to say ‘red lorry yellow lorry’ and some geography (‘Serampore is in WEST BENGAL!) and also getting them to tell me how they make curry because the girls can cook (they are kids who sort of run free on the street, their parents are out working all the time and didn’t send them to school before). We were going through the spices and I asked them where mustard came from and one girl said, ‘From the shop, Auntie!’
They are super-enthusiastic and there’s loads of clamour and bright eyes and jumping up and down. We played hopscotch on the roof and I showed them t’ai chi exercises. And they did loads of hindi film dances. Which was great (and hilarious). They are so little and excitable.


aNa
well…… for those who never believed that I could ever be on my own in a kitchen with a pan full of vegetables and oil without having a panic attack…… I did!!!! and actually Rash forgot to say that it was quite decent and also as U can check I didn’t kill her, so………..well done me!!!!!! anyway let’s move to some other things…….As Rash has said we’ve had become the 2 new teachers of Monimala school!!!!! the experience has been cool so far, Rash is with the older ones and myself with the little ones and although we hardly can understand each other (I mean the kids, not Rash) we still find the way of communicating through signs, body language and smiles which always work!!! The first day we worked was really amazing, I really enjoyed a lot, so did the children, but the second time it was bit of disappointment as it was the first school day for 4 three year-old kids and the teachers were quite harsh and un-empathetic with them so that upset and frustrated me but I tried to do my best and hopefully next week will be better!!!!! :o) Also because I’m planning to teach them my famous song of “the pi pi piiiiii”. For those who don’t know the “hit” make sure I sing it for you when I get back!!!!!
Today we are back in Calcutta for the weekend again staying at Auntie Nupur’s and company (bless their cotton socks) they’re becoming our adoptive family, they ever so nice and everyone here treats us as princesses!!!! Anyway we are back here because tonight we are planning going out with Lattoo (their son) to a party!!!!!! yujuuuuuu check us out!!!!!!! “Living India” is more than visiting temples, mosques, and finding buddha!!!!!!!! ;0)
Well AMIGOS that’s all from me today!!!!!! sending you love &hugs, aNaxxxxx