The brief break is over. The children have returned to their respective classrooms. I decided to use the remaining battery on my laptop to write another blog. Tomorrow, this time I will be on a train headed towards Kolkata and then after a short wait, on another train going to Bolpur. My brief sojourn will be over. I don't know when I will be back. I am due to leave for Delhi end of this month so I am hoping I will be able to make yet another motorcycle trip to the project before I leave. If the weather remains the way it is now, then that should not be a problem.
I has been raining every day since I arrived on the project. Bhola claims we brought the rain with us. I find the rain refreshing, but also rather inconvenient. The roof of my veranda leaks. So one is forced to stay in the room which gets rather stuffy. But rain is good for farming. And this year hopefully with Harish's (villager -- Parvati's father) help we will plant something. He came last evening and promised to plough the field and plant some lentils, corn and vegetables. He will be entitled to half the produce. But that's ok with us. He will be doing most of the work, so I guess he deserves it. We only provide the land and the seeds.
Though I have been ill most of the time, I am glad I came. Even Shantiniketan does not have such wide open spaces and greenery. Now that I am feeling better, I am able to enjoy the overcast skies and cool breeze that is blowing. But I do wish I could also like the way the project is being run.
Despite my presence here and the good weather, I have not seen anyone make any effort to visit the village. Those living here seem to be happy to wake up, eat breakfast, teach for a few hours, eat lunch, sleep, wake up and cook dinner and then eat and sleep. I dropped a few hints, but all I got were excuses -- it's too hot, we don't have umbrellas, etc. Yet, it's not too hot if they have to go to Dumka or for a drive. Sad. Very sad. I'm beyond caring. I'm just glad the school is regular. The kids seem happy and to me that's all that counts.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Bruni is Back
When the children were leaving school we asked them if they had spotted Bruni. A few of them claimed they had seen her in Siayarkatia, close to Devadand. And an hour later she was at the gates demanding to be let in. She had obviously sprinted all the way from there to the project. So the question is: does she understand human language? How did she know we were back? Did other dogs inform her? It's one of nature's mysteries. But we are happy she is back and obviously she's happy to see us. But Bruni has changed.
She no longer jumps on you when she sees you. She no longer demands food or biscuits -- patiently waits to be given something to eat. She no longer bangs on the gates to be let in. And it's obvious that she prefers to spend off the project than on it. As soon as the gates are opened in the morning to let in the school children, she leaves and comes back only in the late afternoon. She, however, insists on sleeping under my bed and spend more time sticking to Mitali who never tires of petting her. But unlike before, she no longer demands to be petted.
School is doing fine. At least it is regular. Mitali is still teaching Class 2 and all those kids are doing these days is learn English, English and more English. Mitali is making up for lost time. Raju and Susanti are teaching in their respective classes. But seem to be doing little else. No village visits and apart of helping Shanku with cooking, nothing else on the project. I don't like their tendencies of asking the school kids to do personal chores. I've already warned them, but I don't think it has much effect.
Shanku is doing most of the project work -- cooking, cleaning and taking care of the guests -- Mitali and me. Mitali is at least teaching. I am doing nothing.
It has been raining since yesterday -- off and on. We had some heavy rains yesterday. The weather has become cooler. But I have not been able to enjoy any of it as I have been quite ill with flu since yesterday morning. I'm a bit better today, but still feeling under the weather. What a pity.
School timings have changed. Before we arrived, school was starting at 6:30 and finishing at 9:00. Now it starts at 7:30 and goes on till 11:00. This is possible because the weather has improved considerably. Perhaps that explains the near 100% attendance.
I can hear thunder. I can hear the children playing in the field. It's break time. Good sounds. I am somewhat at peace. Om shanti, shanti, shantih....
She no longer jumps on you when she sees you. She no longer demands food or biscuits -- patiently waits to be given something to eat. She no longer bangs on the gates to be let in. And it's obvious that she prefers to spend off the project than on it. As soon as the gates are opened in the morning to let in the school children, she leaves and comes back only in the late afternoon. She, however, insists on sleeping under my bed and spend more time sticking to Mitali who never tires of petting her. But unlike before, she no longer demands to be petted.
School is doing fine. At least it is regular. Mitali is still teaching Class 2 and all those kids are doing these days is learn English, English and more English. Mitali is making up for lost time. Raju and Susanti are teaching in their respective classes. But seem to be doing little else. No village visits and apart of helping Shanku with cooking, nothing else on the project. I don't like their tendencies of asking the school kids to do personal chores. I've already warned them, but I don't think it has much effect.
Shanku is doing most of the project work -- cooking, cleaning and taking care of the guests -- Mitali and me. Mitali is at least teaching. I am doing nothing.
It has been raining since yesterday -- off and on. We had some heavy rains yesterday. The weather has become cooler. But I have not been able to enjoy any of it as I have been quite ill with flu since yesterday morning. I'm a bit better today, but still feeling under the weather. What a pity.
School timings have changed. Before we arrived, school was starting at 6:30 and finishing at 9:00. Now it starts at 7:30 and goes on till 11:00. This is possible because the weather has improved considerably. Perhaps that explains the near 100% attendance.
I can hear thunder. I can hear the children playing in the field. It's break time. Good sounds. I am somewhat at peace. Om shanti, shanti, shantih....
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
No Rain in Roldih
I'm sitting on the veranda in Roldih. Arrived here last night via Jasidih with Mitali. Bhola went to fetch us. He is no longer working with us, but is always there to help out with work on the project and off it -- shopping, repairs, bank work and of course fetching people from the station or bus stop.
School is on at the moment. Sushanti is teaching nursery so that Shanku, the usual teacher for that class can take care of chores. Mitali is teaching English in class 2, which is usually Sushanti's class. Raju is teaching in class 1 as usual. I'm not doing anything. So I decided to check the blog. What I discovered shocked me -- I haven't updated the blog for two months!
A lot has happened meanwhile. Shanku's mother died and he was away from the project for most of May and the early part of June. Bhola resigned. He is no longer on the payroll but helps out with work on the project and off it -- shopping, bank, fetching people from the station or bus stop. It's not a bad arrangement. And thought I used to complain about his absence from the project, I find that he is the ONLY person I can rely on. The others are simply happy to teach for 3 hours and goof off for the rest of the day. God knows what they do during the rest of the day. There have been no village visits. I can understand that. It's been terribly hot. But I do hope that once the weather improves there will be other activities on the project too. Otherwise, the expenses incurred in running this project can't be justified.
The weather has been really bad. It has rained only once in 3 months! That's bad. People are anxiously waiting for it to rain so that they can till their fields. People, especially children, are falling ill. And though the single rainfall has turned the leaves of trees green, it is simply not adequate.
Right now, there are clouds in the sky, but it doesn't look like rain. But fortunately, the day is not unbearably hot. We will change the school timings from tomorrow. Today school started at 6:30 and will end at 9:00. From tomorrow it will start at 7:30 and go on till 11:00. Attendance is very poor -- about 50%. I am told this is not normal. On other days, it seems, the attendance is close to 90%. So why poor attendance when I am around? Mitali and I will be here till the end of this week. So let's see.
I'm sad that Bruni is not here. Whatever happened to her? Shanku claims she stays away from the project these days? Why? Why would a dog stay away from a place where she gets fed twice a day? She's been living on the project ever since she was born! And has continued to live here even when there was no one living here. So why would she abandon the project? Could it be that she is no longer alive and no one is willing to tell me so? Anyway, I've asked the kids to find her for me.
Though I haven't updated the blog since April. I have been visiting the project quite regularly all of April and May. I did not come in June as it was simply too hot for the long drive from Prantik (Shantiniketan) to Roldih on the motorbike. At my age (a few months short of 60) it would be taking chances. Heat-stroke among mobike riders is quite common in India during summer. The air is dry and hot. Riding is similar to standing in front of a blast furnace and it's a 5-hour drive to Roldih.
The nights are not unpleasant thought it's not cool after sundown. We slept on the veranda and I dreamt of snakes! There are no mosquitoes. That's really strange. Perhaps because it hasn't rained. I guess once it rains, they will emerge from wherever they are hiding at the moment.
It's drizzling now. School is over. I'm waiting for Bhola to come so that we can settle the accounts. I have to send him to the bank to fetch money to pay the salaries and other expenses. I'm looking forward to his visit. He's the only person (besides Mitali) whom I can communicate with and get news from! Perhaps, while I am here, I will keep updating the blog with news if there's any.
School is on at the moment. Sushanti is teaching nursery so that Shanku, the usual teacher for that class can take care of chores. Mitali is teaching English in class 2, which is usually Sushanti's class. Raju is teaching in class 1 as usual. I'm not doing anything. So I decided to check the blog. What I discovered shocked me -- I haven't updated the blog for two months!
A lot has happened meanwhile. Shanku's mother died and he was away from the project for most of May and the early part of June. Bhola resigned. He is no longer on the payroll but helps out with work on the project and off it -- shopping, bank, fetching people from the station or bus stop. It's not a bad arrangement. And thought I used to complain about his absence from the project, I find that he is the ONLY person I can rely on. The others are simply happy to teach for 3 hours and goof off for the rest of the day. God knows what they do during the rest of the day. There have been no village visits. I can understand that. It's been terribly hot. But I do hope that once the weather improves there will be other activities on the project too. Otherwise, the expenses incurred in running this project can't be justified.
The weather has been really bad. It has rained only once in 3 months! That's bad. People are anxiously waiting for it to rain so that they can till their fields. People, especially children, are falling ill. And though the single rainfall has turned the leaves of trees green, it is simply not adequate.
Right now, there are clouds in the sky, but it doesn't look like rain. But fortunately, the day is not unbearably hot. We will change the school timings from tomorrow. Today school started at 6:30 and will end at 9:00. From tomorrow it will start at 7:30 and go on till 11:00. Attendance is very poor -- about 50%. I am told this is not normal. On other days, it seems, the attendance is close to 90%. So why poor attendance when I am around? Mitali and I will be here till the end of this week. So let's see.
I'm sad that Bruni is not here. Whatever happened to her? Shanku claims she stays away from the project these days? Why? Why would a dog stay away from a place where she gets fed twice a day? She's been living on the project ever since she was born! And has continued to live here even when there was no one living here. So why would she abandon the project? Could it be that she is no longer alive and no one is willing to tell me so? Anyway, I've asked the kids to find her for me.
Though I haven't updated the blog since April. I have been visiting the project quite regularly all of April and May. I did not come in June as it was simply too hot for the long drive from Prantik (Shantiniketan) to Roldih on the motorbike. At my age (a few months short of 60) it would be taking chances. Heat-stroke among mobike riders is quite common in India during summer. The air is dry and hot. Riding is similar to standing in front of a blast furnace and it's a 5-hour drive to Roldih.
The nights are not unpleasant thought it's not cool after sundown. We slept on the veranda and I dreamt of snakes! There are no mosquitoes. That's really strange. Perhaps because it hasn't rained. I guess once it rains, they will emerge from wherever they are hiding at the moment.
It's drizzling now. School is over. I'm waiting for Bhola to come so that we can settle the accounts. I have to send him to the bank to fetch money to pay the salaries and other expenses. I'm looking forward to his visit. He's the only person (besides Mitali) whom I can communicate with and get news from! Perhaps, while I am here, I will keep updating the blog with news if there's any.
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