Basant Panchami

January has been a good month. School started off well. We had four very enthusiastic and lively volunteers who not only helped teach but took care of a lot of chores around the project. And it’s been a month of celebrations. Bonfires on Saturdays, Bansi’s birthday, Republic Day and today to end the month we celebrated Basant Panchami/Saraswati Puja.

The day started as usual. I decided to shed my winter wear and go back to wearing dhoti-kurta, which is my standard wear for summer. It’s still cold, but not too cold.

To begin with we had assembly as usual. We distributed the weekly shampoo sachets. The kids went to class. We had one period of learning/studies and then while the younger kids went out to play, the older children helped prepare the prasad for Saraswati Puja.

Once they were ready, I performed the puja. Then we had assembly all over again. This time we distributed the prized to the kids who stood 1st, 2nd and 3rd in their respective classes. Following this we distributed prasad and the kids went home. It was a quiet, dignified and disciplined affair. The rest of the day was free. But by the time the kids went home, it was lunch time anyway. The rest of the day was as usual except that since yesterday Tak and Dani have been meditating.

Nilambar showed up with a suitcase. So we have a new teacher. I hope he will like the place enough to stay. He seemed a bit bored this evening. But that’s probably because he hasn’t still got into the rhythm of things here. He just stood and watched the volunteers watering the plants. If only he had joined them and interacted with them he may not have felt so out of place. He seems like a sensible and sober person. I’m sure he’ll fit in eventually.

What is unfortunate is that I may have to go to Kolkata soon to attend to some personal business. It’s a pity. I would have liked to stay here for Nilambar’s “breaking in” period. Show him the ropes, tell him about the organization and what we are trying to achieve here. He’ll probably get some information from Bansi. But will it be the right sort of information?
We have all been pulling Bansi’s leg of late. He made the mistake of saying he wants to contest the next election. Wow! So Bhola and I have already started calling him MP saahab – or Mr Member of Parliament. He obviously has no idea what it entails to enter the electoral fray!

From tomorrow I will be posting the blog at www.dakshinayan.rediffiland.com. So you can bookmark the address if you are interested in keeping in touch with daily happenings on the project.

Wasted Effort

We have two batteries that charge our cell phones and the laptop. While we use one the other is sent for charging to a nearby town which has electricity. For the past three days this place hasn’t had any electricity and so the battery we had sent across hasn’t been charged and the present one I am using is dead! The laptop has some battery power left and it won’t last long. So I’m posting this quick blog. If you don’t see any more posts for a while, you’ll know why. No battery power. We do have a solar panel to charge the battery. But it merely augments that charge that is there. It does not charge the battery.

Bhola returned yesterday from Kolkata. Bansi went to Poreya Haat to pick him up. Bhola brought the caps and the puzzles that Simha had left behind with Mitali. They were a big hit with the kids and also the volunteers! A little bit of fun and games along with studies is good.
But the most disappointing thing was that when I cut open the packet to see what the caps looked like, I discovered that they contained sheets!!!! Someone goofed up while packing the stuff in Delhi! Balaji, who got the job done, cannot be contacted because he has gone to his native village in the south for some religious ceremony. I have no idea when he’s returning. So nothing can be done till I manage to contact him.

I’m disappointed. So are the volunteers and the kids. We were looking forward to distributing the camps on Saraswati Puja day and make it part of the school uniform. But that is not to be and it’s very disappointing indeed.

Wonder what happens when parcels are couriered to us! The solar panels from Intel did not reach us because someone goofed up in Bangalore. The caps did not reach us because someone goofed up in Delhi. And yesterday we discovered that the parcel that Yvonne so lovingly and painstakingly sent us all the way from the States has a mistake in the address! We are keeping our fingers crossed that that parcel will reach us somehow. Keep praying with us please!
I may be leaving for Kolkata today. I’m still not sure if I am going as I am waiting for a phone call before I decide. I’ll be back Saturday morning in time for Saraswati Puja.

And another important announcement. I may shift this blog to a new location. The new blog address is www.dakshinayan.rediffiland.com. It seems more user friendly. I’ve set it up but I have made no entries yet. So please bookmark the url and visit the site if you don’t find any entries here.

Back to Routine

It’s back to routine school day after two days’ holiday and excitement. Republic Day is over and the children are now looking forward to “basant panchami” or “Saraswati Puja”. But I had to announce today that we will not be having the picnic after all. First of all, the weather is foul. It was quite misty and cold till about 10:00 am. Also, I explained that we should not have all the fun at one go! We’ve just celebrated Republic Day. Next we celebrate “basant panchami” with puja, prasad and prize for those who did well in their exams. And prizes for all in the form of the school caps. So we will defer the picnic for another day when the weather is nice and sunny and warm. The children seemed to agree with this. We’ll have picnic some other day. Perhaps when the “palas” trees are in full bloom!
About the caps. I told the children that it would be part of their uniform because it has “Baba Gyan Mandir” written on it. They are to treat it with respect. And they also have to “buy” it for Re 1. This is because we don’t want to give anything for free. I asked them if it would be a problem, they were unanimous in saying that it wouldn’t be a problem. After some initial quizzical looks, the volunteers too understood the thought behind charging one Rupee for a cap.
Life was usual otherwise. The masons have finished repairing the last building. It’s looking good. The windows need to be put in place. But that can’t be done till they are brought back from the welders. A couple of hinges had come off and so we are replacing them. And also reversing the panels. These are iron windows and earlier they used to open inward. We now want them to open outward so that there’s more space in the room. They should have been ready today, but the welder had gone off to Godda and so will only work on it tomorrow. We hope to have them back by tomorrow evening and so the windows are going to be put in the day after.
Once the windows are in place, Balai can start whitewashing the building and also paint the windows. They are already rusty from exposure to the elements. A coat of paint will save them. I am trying to figure out a way of fixing the windows in the volunteers’ rooms. They too are made of iron and at least four of six require some repair. Removing them would be a costly affair and no welder is willing to bring his machine here. I’m trying to figure out a way of fixing them without removing them. Seems impossible at the moment. But I’m sure I’ll find a way.
Bhola is on the bus back from Kolkata. He’s picked up the hats and the puzzles that Simha left behind at Mitali’s place. I asked him of the trip was tiring. He said he thoroughly enjoyed it. That’s nice to hear. Next send him, I’ll send Bansi and perhaps a couple of school kids with him. No one (including Bansi) has visited Kolkata! It’s time they went and saw what city life is like. In Kolkata, Bhola visited the National Museum, the Victoria Memorial and the Birla Planetarium. Great! Now he knows where to take the kids. I have an itinerary they could follow. But let’s take one step at a time!
Bhabesh Pandit came this morning for the 3rd time in two days to ask if I will admit his nephew Amit in shool. For the third time I said no! This afternoon, his sister came to see me and I refused to see her. I asked Bansi to tell her that I don’t wish to talk about this at all. Why am I being so harsh? Well, here’s the background: When admissions were on, Bhabesh said his nephew Amit was out of town and would be back in a couple of days and could I please reserve a place for him. I agreed. That was about a month ago! Then there was no news from Bhabesh. He met Bansi several times and his neice, son and daughter come to school every day and yet he did not deem it fit to inform us about what happened to his nephew who was to join. Now suddenly, he has woken up to the fact that his nephew needs an education! This boy Amit was already studying in our school. They suddenly, without even informing us why, he stopped coming to school. Later we found out that he had gone away to Punjab to study. And it seems now he is back.
Well, I have decided to take the boy back and I have reserved a place for him. But I don’t like Bhabesh’s attitude. He seems to think that just because he had once taught in this school for a month, he is entitled to special treatment. Yesterday in my speech I said that I will have one rule for everyone. So how can I have a different set of rules for him? I also want him to realize that he just can’t walk in any time and expect me to comply with his request. To be honest, I am making him run around. It’s nasty and I am feeling bad about it – which is why I am writing about it. But that’s how things are done here. If I give in too easily, he will think I’m a push-over. But if he runs around a few times he will treat the school with more respect.
I just remembered an incident to illustrate this. But I’ll save it for another blog post....

Republic Day at Roldih Ashram

Some people treat National Holidays such as Republic Day and Independence Day as a religious occasion – especially in the villages here. They don’t eat or drink before the flag is hoisted and they refer to the sweet that is invariably distributed after the flag hoisting and singing of the National Anthem as Prasad (offering to God).

On the project we don’t share the same belief or faith and so we had breakfast as usual. It was chickpeas and tasted quite yummy. And they we got busy preparing for the ceremony. The flag pole had been erected the previous day so only the benches for the guests were put in place in front of the temple. The children did all this. And then Bansi went to fetch our chief guest – Bishu’s wife. She said she would come by 8:30. She was the one who wanted a saree as payment for hoisting the flag. And then later agreed to do it. But she did not show up while everyone waited and waited. Then just as I was about to invite someone to do the honours, Pitho’s wife came rushing in and announced that Saniram’s wife would hoist the flag. She did. And we all sang the National Anthem.

We invited our chief guest to say a few words and all she said was: Please come to school regularly and keep yourselves clean. Then it was my turn to give a speech. So I did. I talked mainly about how we all need to feel united as Indians and rise above caste, region and religion. I told them that my fater was from the East. My mother from the South and I married a woman from the North and I felt completely Indian and that the reason why I chose to dedicate my life to bringing education to this region is because we are all Indians and they are my countrymen. And that I owe it to my country and them to give them what I can. I told them that if I started thinking about caste and region and religion, I should not be here at all. Bansi translated what I said in Santhali. I don’t know how many people understood what I was trying to tell them. But they listened with attention.

Then we distributed sweets and savouries – first tot he school children, then to the other children who had come, to the women and then to the men who were present. It went off rather well and smoothly except that we had to try to unfurl the flag thrice because it would not open properly during the first two attempts. How embarrassing!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. But the masons insisted on working and so did the labourers. The repairs are almost complete. They should finish by tomorrow. Balai did not come to paint today. He had gone to bring coal for us. He arrived in the evening with it and so missed out on the ceremony. But we had kept aside some sweets for him. He was happy to have his Prasad.

The girls are all probably leaving on the 2nd of February. They are already feeling sad about leaving. That’s the pity. It takes visitors at least two weeks to get into the groove of things. And if they are coming for a short period, then they have to leave just as they settling in and enjoying their stay. Renee wanted to stay back. But since she has already informed the police she wishes to stay for only one month, it would be difficult (though not impossible) for her to stay on. Besides, Nilambar will be joining the project from 1st February. And I would like him to start off when the project is without volunteers so that he gets used to the routine. We don’t always have volunteers, so he should know what life on the project is like when there are no visitors.

Bhola was here for the ceremony. He brought the sweets. This evening he left for Kolkata. In fact, his bus must have left Godda by now. He’s going to Kolkata to deliver some important documents to Mitali and also pick up the school caps we have ordered.

Dani and Tak had very kindly agreed to pay for them. Ren and Kaz too have offered to pay for the presents we plan to give the children on Saraswati Puja day. These are children who came first, second and third in their respective classes in the final exams held last December. It’s really so nice of these girls to make this offer and I’m quite touched by their gesture. They have promised me that when they go back home they will help raise money for us to build a well on the compound. In fact, the girls are giving me some money right now so that we could start work on the well immediately. That’s great! The well will not only provide a convenient source of water for the children to take to the toilet, but also provide water for irrigating the field we have. This means we will be able to grow our own vegetables and perhaps lentils too. And of course we will be able to plant more trees.

Well, the day has come to an end. The flag has been put away. The temple lamps have been lit and we are waiting for Suman to strike the dinner gong. It’s been a great day for us here. I hope Republic Day has passed off without any mishap in the rest of the country. And I am hoping that one this day at least, we are all feeling one.

Sunday Blues

I had gone to Baba’s temple to pray. And on the way back I looked into the kitchen. Suman was busy making chapattis. He was working in the light of his headlamp. We put in new batteries today and so the light was bright enough to light up the entire kitchen.

It’s really handy – the headlamp. Lisi Moser sent it to us. And we can’t thank her enough. Suman certainly appreciates it. He uses it for everything – cooking, washing dishes, etc, etc.... and also chasing the pups who are growing up and becoming a nuisance.

I’m wondering what to do with them. Last night they all collected outside my room and wailed away! I went out once to shoo them away. Later I heard some volunteers come of their rooms to take care of them. Wonder what they did. They suddenly became silent. They were probably looking for their mother who was sleeping on the extra bed and pretending to be deaf! I think she’s had enough of them. I certainly do not find them cute anymore and the volunteers most definitely don’t after last night’s disturbance. I am hoping someone will take away a few. Imagine six grown up dogs running around the project. Who will feed them? Besides there are no vets in the vicinity and the few that are there don’t want to have anything to do with dogs.

Since today was a Sunday, the volunteers spent most of their time cleaning up and washing. Bhola came with part of the sweets we will distribute tomorrow for Republic Day. He will bring the rest. But he spent the whole day here helping Bansi put up the flag pole. He also one of the iron windows for welding. The hinge had broken. Then he and Bansi went to the Agiya Mor haat (local market) to buy vegetables and provisions for the project. He’ll be back tomorrow morning with the rest of the sweets and also to participate in the celebrations. I’m so glad he is involved. He’s really a big help. In fact, he’s going to Kolkata tomorrow in the evening to bring back the caps that I had ordered for the children. These are caps with the school’s name printed on them and bearing the uniform colours – yellow and blue. I wish they had arrived earlier when it was very cold. But I guess the kids can wear them for summer too.

The day did not start well. Bansi had gone to the village to invite one of the women as chief guest for tomorrow’s flag hoisting ceremony. He came back and reported that the women were refusing to come if I did not give them sarees! This really upset me. I don’t like this form of blackmail. So I called Sonalal, one of the more educated and sensible villagers and explained to him that Republic Day is a national festival and that as an Indian the women of Roldih should feel proud and honoured that they are getting a chance to hoist the flag. They were not doing me any favours and if they did not wish to come, it was up to them. I would simply invite some local official or a small child to do the honours. He of course explained that the village women were ignorant and they always expected something whenever they were invited by a “big man” such as me.

It was then my turn to explain that the non-tribals of the area will not even let a tribal man or woman sit in front of them. When they are in front of the non-tribals (who are all money lenders in some for m or other) they have to behave like vassals. And it was to change all this that I give the Roldih villagers respect and ensure that others also learn to respect them. I ensure that in school tribal children sit next to non-tribal children to promote equality. This is not the case in many other schools in the area. And yet, when I show the local tribals respect, they wish to blackmail me!

I was really depressed and like it happens at such times, I felt like quitting. These days, as I realize that I am growing older, and that I have spent practically my whole life in this area, I do wonder why I need to do all this. Haven’t I done enough? Isn’t it time for me to go back to a life in the city? Most of the people I know who were once grassroots workers are now leading a comfortable life back in the city. And here I am, far away from home, from the few friends I have, alienated myself from my daughter whom I haven’t seen for over a year. Why do I need to do all this? Why here? Why not in Himachal Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh where people would at least treat me with respect and appreciate my work?

I know that feeling will pass. But right now I am not feeling too happy. But I must say that I was pleased when a villager came to me and said that the women have decided to come and that they understand my point of view. Have they really?

Today Mangal Tudu who was a student in our school and who now studies at the Agiya Mor Mississon school came to collect his wages. He had helped the masons with wall repair work. I asked him what he would do with his money (Rs 600). He said he needed to pay the fees in school! And yet his father, Pitho, has not paid me the fees for the younger brother who is now in our school. What am I doing wrong? Why are people willing to give their money to the missionaries for education and not to us? I know we are definitely providing better education because Mangal had failed in class 3 in our school and yet got admission in class 7 in the mission school after being amongst the top five in the admission test. Tells you something about our standards. And also tells you something about the standard prevailing in the rest of the state – the mission schools are supposed to be the best!

So what is it that we are doing wrong? People borrow Rs 100 from a non-tribal and grovels in front of him while shelling out Rs 150 in return. And when they borrow from me they don’t even bother to inform me that they can’t pay! And then have the audacity to say that I haven’t done anything for the community! Maybe I could have served the community better by becoming a mahajan (money lender) instead. When I shared my pain with someone today he told me in rather crude Hindi: Guruji, you do something good for people here, they’ll give you a bad name. You give them a bottle once in a while and take away all they possess, they’ll think you are the greatest guy on earth. I couldn’t help but agree with him silently. There have been so many examples that seem to prove the veracity of his statement.

But I have a story to tell. Once upon a time there was a wise sage who lived near a river. One morning when he went for his bath, he noticed that a scorpion had fallen into the river and was about to drown. He picked it up and put it on the river bank. The scorpion stung him and went away. The next day, when the sage went again for his bath, he once again rescued the scorpion from drowning and once again the scorpion stung him.

This happened for four or five days. Some other people who were also bathing, saw the drama unfold day after day. Finally they told the sage: We thought you are a wise man. But when will you learn that the scorpion will sting? Why do you bother to rescue it? Just let it drown. You’ve done your bit.

The sage, in reply, said: The scorpion is following it’s inner nature, which is to sting. I am doing what is my inner nature too by saving it.

Weather Fluctuations

It’s been a warm day today. Strange how the weather fluctuates these days. I can understand why people ill because of the change of season. Once upon a time Basant was the time for pox. Fortunately, one does not see that illness any more. But cough and cold seems to be common.

Most of the children seem to be harbouring a cold. I sneezed a few times, but I haven’t got a cold as yet. It could have been the paint. Balai is still painting. The masons are still working. But the repair works seems to be close to completion. Another couple of days perhaps. I wonder if people are going to come to work on Republic Day. It’s illegal to do so. But whose checking?

Today we marked out lines just before Assembly so that the children would stand in a straight line! They seem to have a problem queuing up. It helped. So during “sharmdaan” (voluntary work) period, the children made the lines somewhat more permanent by making shallow furrows and then filling them up with chalk powder. I should have taken pictures of them working. They dug up a huge rock that was in the middle of the Assembly area. Of course they couldn’t move it. It was too big and heavy, but the masons and the labour working with them managed to roll it to one side.

The volunteers still have funny stomachs. But it hasn’t affected their appetite. That’s good. And seem to have enough energy to teach and also water the plants. I’ve taken everyone off “kitchen duty” so that I can figure out who or what is responsible for so many people having stomach problems at the same time. I still feel that it was probably the Cheo trip that is the cause. Maybe the pots and pans they cooked their food in was not properly cleaned. It could also be the water of the well there. Or maybe they forgot to was their hands before eating. Anyway, it does no harm to be extra careful. Suman will cook with Bansi’s help. And I’ve give strict instructions that everything should be squeaky clean.

Bruni threw up on the bed last night. Perhaps she’s feeling bad about it. Because she hasn’t come back to lie around as she usually does. She seems well enough. I could be something she ate outside. She goes away with the school kids every afternoon. God knows where she goes. And then returns in the afternoon. Her brats are growing up and keep frolicking all over the place. They have developed the habit of following people around – the children who come to school, the masons, the labourers, the volunteers. Hey! Aren’t they supposed to be wary of people and become good guard dogs?

Bhola brought the anti-rabies medicine and gave Suman an injection. The next injection is due on next Saturday. The last one will be administered 21 days from then. Must keep track of the dates! If I don’t I don’t think anyone else will. Perhaps Bhola will remember. What I like about that guy is that I have to tell him something once and he will not only remember, but also get it done.

Today he brought Nilambar Mahto, a young man who used to teach in a school in Devdandr, but is now unemployed. I had a talk with him and told him what I expect from my team. He seems interested in joining the project from next month. I do hope he does. I do need a back-up. Something tells me that now that Bansi has got himself a passport, he may not stay. Though knowing him, he will probably not tell me till the last moment that he is leaving.

Yesterday when Bhola was in Godda, I had asked him to pick up some chocolates for the girls. This morning I gave it to them. It was a surprise and their faces lit up – especially Tak and Dani. They claim they are addicted to chocolates. I don’t know about that. But it certainly explains their sudden burst of energy!

Bruni's Brat Bites

Suddenly, it’s cold all over again! It’s hard to imagine that we are hardly a week away from spring. Basant Panchami, (Saraswati Puja) is the 5th day of Spring. And yet, this morning it was freezing. It was 10 degrees outdoors. It had been a somewhat warm day and so when I felt cold at night I assumed it was because I had kept the windows open. They had been freshly painted and so I didn’t want to inhale the fumes. But when I stepped out of my room it realized that it was indeed bitterly cold. But Suman was up as usual and gave me my first cup of tea and took some across to the volunteers who were, like me, somewhat reluctant to get out of bed.

Tak still has stomach cramps. This afternoon I gave her some Flagyl and it seems to have helped a bit. A few more dozes and I am sure she will be her normal self. Kaz, on the other hand, is now complaining of cramps in her stomach. If she is worse off tomorrow, I’ll give her some Flagyl too. But I am still trying to figure out why these girls have suddenly developed stomach problems. We are all eating the same food and drinking the same water. But only they seem to be affected.
Suman has gone home (to his in-law’s place) tonight. He left late afternoon after his wife came to fetch him. He cooked dinner before leaving though. And I’m sure he’ll be back to give me tea tomorrow morning. I wonder how he manages to get back so early. The village he has gone to is about 10 kilometres from here.

Unfortunately, just before he left, one of the pups bit him while he was giving them food. Poor guy, he now has to have injections. Bhola happened to be in Godda and so he picked up the injections and will give him the necessary shots. The pups are really becoming a handful. They insist on coming into the kitchen and we have to keep shooing them away. They have to be taught right now. Or else we will have trouble on our hands.

There was school as usual and after two days of 100% attendance, today we had one child short in school. Probably in nursery class.

Daily Dilemma

I did not write the blog last night partly because nothing apart from routine happened. And partly because I was upset about something and I did not wish to inadvertently express my feelings here.
That’s one dilemma I often face. How much should I put down in a blog? Especially a blog that is project related. Should I put down my own feeling and observations about people who live on the project? Isn’t it rather unfair? I can let the world know what I think about someone and they don’t even have a chance to defend themselves.
Anyway, yesterday was a routine day. There was school as usual. The masons are still carrying out repair work. Balai is painting. The volunteers are helping out with teaching and daily chores. The only unusual thing that happened was that I had ask Bansi to come back from the market because someone had come to meet him. Fortunately, Bhola was in Chandna and he did the marketing for us and dropped off the vegetables etc on his way back home.
He does so much for the project. In fact he seems to be a lot more involved in the project than those who should be. I’ve asked him to arrange for the Republic Day celebrations and and I can rest assured that he will take care of everything. He is full of advice and suggestions. I wish he could work for the project. Unfortunately, he is the only son in a joint family of traders so even though he loves to be associated with the project, he can’t be here full time. But even without any recompense, he does a lot for the project.

Nothing Unusual

The masons are busy building the parapet. They’ve also plastered part of the building. Balai came to work today. He’s painted 3 windows after sandpapering them. The paint we are using this time is “bus green” – a dark green that I like for some odd reason.
There was school as usual. And now that the festivities are over, we have full attendance. All 84 kids were present. All of them were present yesterday too.
Dani is ill. Something wrong with her stomach. She still taught though personally I feel she should be resting. She has been. And also drinking lots of fluids. She feels she is going to be fine tomorrow. Tak is there to take care of her. And of course, we are here to ensure that she gets well soon. She had lost her appetite. But did eat something for lunch today.
Yesterday Bansi had asked the children who were taking tuition outside, to come to school today before assembly. Most parents came. I did not talk to them as I wanted to Bansi to speak to them and take some responsibility. Basically, Bansi told the parents that we have a method of teaching the children. But when a child takes tuition (these are nursery and class one kids!) they somehow get confused.
Most parents said they had appointed tutors before admissions. They were in any case planning to discontinue. Let’s see. But I am happy that Bansi handled the situation well.
Otherwise, nothing eventful happened. This is how life is here.... routine.... peaceful....uneventful on most days.

Just Another Day

I wouldn’t call the day eventful in any way. It was mostly routine. School started as usual. Classes were held, as usual. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served on time.
Some unusual things happened. Some villagers came for “jail”. But since we had already distributed “jail” yesterday, Bansi gave everyone a cup of tea and sent them off. All except a drunk who insisted that Bansi should give him some money to buy at least half a bottle of “mahua” – the local brew.
The corrugated roofing sheets were secured today with hooks. The masons even managed to build a part of the parapet. But Balai did not show up to paint the windows even though Bhola had brought the paint in the morning.It’s moonless night. The day was very windy. But it is definitely getting warmer every passing day.

Roof Repair

Today, the masons were repairing the roof of the building where Bansi and Suman have their rooms. So they kept coming to me for advice every time they needed to take a decision. I would have to leave the class and go and supervise the work. So today I really couldn’t teach in school properly. But at least the roof has gone up and the masons will be able to deal with the repair work without requiring my presence.

But school went on as usual. The volunteers are doing most of the teaching anyway. Today, however, during the first period Radha, Anjana and Lilita from class four taught nursery while Bansi, Suman and the class four boys gave fertilizers to the trees we have planted so far. Many of them are not growing as fast as they should. You can’t blame them! They were planted on gravelly soil with little or no nutrients to speak of. Hopefully the fertilizer will help them grow.
The girls were tired after yesterday’s trek to Cheo and back. Dani had hurt her knee while playing football with the Cheo kids. She seems to have recovered from her injury. Kaz and Ren were feeling “knackered” throughout the day.

Today was the last day of Sohrai celebrations in Roldih village. The drums fell silent this evening after the villagers visited the project for “jail” – the mandatory contribution to the celebrations. Like every year, we gave them two bags of “muri” (puffed rice) and “gur” (jaggery). Some village women also came to pay obeisance to Baba Lokenath. Some villagers danced outside the project premises because they wouldn’t enter the place in an inebriated state. The project is considered sacred because of Baba’s temple.

I am happy that they showed respect for the place. But it’s unfortunate that the volunteers did not get to see tribal dancing. But I think they did get a glimpse of it while coming to the project from Godda. Their taxi had been stopped at many villages that were celebrating Sohrai and they wouldn’t let any vehicle pass without giving “chanda” (voluntary donation). Believe me, there’s nothing voluntary about it. The girls block the road and dance and will only move away if you give them a small donation.

It’s getting warmer every day now. Basant (Spring) is almost here. It was quite hot in the sun when I was supervising the roofing work. Before we realize it, summer will be here. We didn’t get the kind of winter we expected this year.

A Trip to Cheo

Ramnath called this morning. He said he was coming down to take the volunteers to Cheo. The girls had just woken up and were having their first cup of tea when I hollered to them to get ready. Within minutes they were ready to move. Meanwhile, Bansi and Suman got busy making breakfast (parathas) so that they could eat something before leaving. They also packed some rice and dal and tomatoes and potatoes for them to take up to Cheo.

Ramnath arrived a few minutes after breakfast was over. He too had breakfast and the quartet left with him. They got back at about 4:30. Tired but happy. They kept thanking me for organizing the trip. No big deal. I wanted them to see Cheo. The school there and the contrasting worlds within a few kilometres of each other. The took some pictures and I’m putting up a couple of them.

It was rather quiet on the project after the volunteers left. I soaked up the sun and read a book while Bansi and Suman went about their daily chores. The masons were hard at work repairing the last building. They resumed work after three days. Sohrai is still on but coming to an end and so they managed to get some labour.

Nothing else happened. Bansi went to the weekly market in Agiya Mor and returned a few minutes after the volunteers got back. Everyone seems tired but happy.

Bansi's Birthday

It’s Bansi’s Birthday tomorrow. But since we were planning a Saturday night bonfire, I thought it would be a good idea to celebrate his birthday tonight. So this afternoon I called up Bhola and asked him to buy some shirt material and also organize some Pepsi Cola, cake and chips so that we could have a “party” tonight.

I wanted it to be a surprise. And so I did not even tell the volunteers about it till about 30 minutes before Bhola arrived. I was afraid they’d inadvertently let the cat out of the bag! And Bansi, of course, had no clue. I went and stood near the main gate so that Bhola could pass me all the stuff and then he came in through the small gate pretending that he had come to deliver the gas cylinder that had gone for refilling.

I pretended that since he had arrived just before dinner, he could have dinner with us and then I invited him to join the bonfire party. Bansi was frowning as it is not usual for me to invite “outsiders” to stay on after dark.

Meanwhile, the girls arranged the cake and chips and cola and present and joined the bonfire singing “happy birthday....” Bansi’s expression was classic! He was shocked, and then quite pleasantly surprised. He was obviously thrilled to receive the present. He couldn’t stop smiling. (See picture).

We sat around and chatted a bit. Mostly the girls chatted amongst themselves and they are still out there near the fire still chatting! They also pretended to be the Spice Girls and even sang a song – “... when two become one...” interspersed with bouts of giggling and laughter! It was quite funny really. I had to sing a song too! So I sang them my favourite Bengali song ...”phool, pakhi bondhu amar chilo..” Of course, I also had to translate it.

The cake was not too bad. I didn’t know there was a bakery in Devdandr that bakes cakes too! So next time we have to celebrate someone’s birthday, we can order one in advance. The cola was Orange flavoured and the last bottle available in Devdandr. I hope Bansi likes the shirt piece we got him. It was Bhola’s choice.

Bhola is staying over. Normally it would not have been a problem but the roof’s off in the building where Bansi and Suman stay and so it may be a bit uncomfortable for Bhola. Maybe I am wrong, but I suspect Bansi was somewhat unhappy about Bhola staying over. Tomorrow I’ll ask him why.

The day was routine otherwise. School went off ok. The girls are now taking most of the classes and I am now teaching only English and Hindi in classes 3 and 4. They figured that I might as well take it easy while they’re here because once they leave, I’ll have the run the whole school on my own – with a little bit of help from Bansi, of course.

Ramnath from Cheo has not been in touch. I was to arrange a excursion to Cheo tomorrow (Sunday). I wonder if he will show up tomorrow morning or if he has forgotten all about it. He hasn’t called. And he can’t seem to get through to him either. If he doesn’t come tomorrow, the volunteers will have to wait till next Sunday to visit Cheo.

The only problem is that next Sunday is the 25th -- the day before Republic Day. Ramnath and Chandrama may be too busy making arrangements to celebrate it. We’ll be celebrating Republic Day at Baba Gyan Mandir also. In fact, I am planning to distribute prizes to those who came !st, 2nd and 3rd in their respective classes in the final exams last year. I’m wondering what prizes to give them. If anyone has an idea, please let me know. I’ve only been able to think of school bags and pencils!

I can still hear the girls out there. Maybe I should go and tell them to get indoors. The fire must have died out. But they are so busy chatting that I’m sure they haven’t noticed!

Bruni's Bed

Bruni now sleeps on the extra bed I have on the veranda. She curls up on the spare quilt and expects me to put something over her. I use the meditation rug that she had chewed up to cover her up. And she spends the whole night there and wakes up late. These days she doesn't ask for her biscuits! That's strange. She's become very quiet. No longer the jumpy brat that she used to be. And what's nice is that she feeds her pups at regular intervals.

Her pups are becoming more and more mischievous as the days pass. They are all over the place. I dread to think of what will happen when they are all grown up. How will we feed them?

The painting of the school furniture is over. I've even paid Balai for his labour. There was some extra paint left over and he painted the two tables in my room. So my room is now smelling of paint while I type this out.

The volunteers are no longer teaching Nursery Class. Today I had to discipline a four kids who had apparently be throwing paper balls at each other and jumping on the desks and did not listen to the volunteers when they were asked to stop. They were publicly punished to set an example for the other kids. Today, at least, everyone was very well-behaved. I also told Nursery Class that since they didn't know how to behave and show respect for the volunteers, they did not deserve to have volunteers teaching them. From now on Bansi will teach Nursery Class exclusively. I had on many occasion explained to every one that the volunteers spend their own money and make the effort to come out here and live in harsh conditions so that they could teach the children. Whereas, teachers who are paid to teach in other schools don't. So the least the children could do is learn while they can and show some respect if not appreciation. I really makes me angry when they become indisciplined. Because then they are not only not learning, they also prevent others from learning as well.

Dani, Tak, Kaz and Ren have been busy this afternoon watering the plants. They watered them yesterday and again today. But I've asked them not to water all the plants every day. That would be too much work and tire them out. Besides, it's winter and so the plants don't need to much water. They could water a few every day and set up a rotational routine. I think they are doing that now.

And also the kitchen duty seems to be working well. Yesterday Dani was on kitchen duty. Today it's Kaz's turn. They are following an alphabetic order. That means tomorrow it will be Tak's turn. Or will it be Renee's? Suman seems happy to have some help and company. The volunteers are enjoying being able to learn how to cook Indian food. But sadly, the Hindi lessons have come to an end. Well, for the past few days Dani and Tak haven't asked me to teach them. But Suman is quite diligent about learning English. He comes to study every day for 45 minutes. That's good. Perhaps we won't have to look elsewhere for a Nursery Class teacher next year!

Sohrai is on in full swing. I can hear the drums in the village. There's much feasting and drinking and dancing. They haven't come this way as yet. But I am surprised that all the kids had come to school! I had assumed they'd want to stay home for the festival. But apparently school takes precedence. That's nice.

Well, the festival has certainly put a stop to the repair work. No labour to help the masons. Work will probably resume on Sunday. Let's see how long the hangover lasts!

An Active Day

There was school as usual. But at lunch I discovered that the children in Nursery had misbehaved badly. I am now wondering if I should take up the issue tomorrow at assembly or wait for them to repeat things before taking action. I wish the teachers had called me in when they were apparently throwing paper at each other and jumping on the benches. The problem could have been nipped in the bud. An example set. I’m really upset and wondering what course of action I should take.

Bansi went to the bank today. He left soon after school only only got back at 4:30. He probably ate something in Chandna. And as usual he had a story to tell about the Chandna branch of the State Bank of India where Dakshinayan has it’s account. Every time he goes there to deposit money or withdraw cash the cashier or the manager and sometimes even the peon throws the rule book at him! Today they asked him why he wasn’t carrying the project’s stamp with him to countersign a bearer cheque! How ridiculous can one get? It’s a bearer cheque which bears his name and I had already given a letter to the bank informing them that he would be conducting banking transactions. But now they expect him to have a rubber stamp to cash a bearer cheque. I sometimes wonder how these people get their jobs. They don’t seem to be aware of banking rules and definitely are lacking in customer care. But it’s rural bank and for most educated city folks – especially in Jarkhand and Bihar – villagers are less than human. The bankers treat their customers as if they are doing them a big favour. No wonder the villagers prefer to go to money lenders rather than go to a bank.

Balai came today. He has done a lot of painting. Dani and Tak joined him in the afternoon. Then later all four girls watered the trees. Though the trees get some moisture from the due that falls at night, it’s not adequate and a bit of extra water won’t harm them. May even help them grow faster. Today I discovered that someone had broken one of my gulmohar saplings. Wonder who it was. Must have one of the children while playing football. Ah well, we’ll just plant another this monsoon.

The freshly painted desks and benches have been put in the classrooms. They certainly add colour to the class. The kids like it. I think it was a good idea to paint them with different bright colours. The yellow did not come out well. The paint was too thin and did not dry. And somehow after drying the yellow looked rather washed out. So we repainted the tops of some of the desks and benches with other colours.

Yesterday, Karoline and Renee said they wanted to learn Indian cooking. So I suggested they could each take turns to help Suman in the kitchen. Today, Danielle opted to go first and right now when I peeked, she was busy fanning the oven and trying to light it. I think it will be a great way for them to not only see how much work goes into preparing lunch and dinner, it will also help them to interact individually with Suman. I hope he manages to shed his inhibitions and diffidence. These days I am teaching him English. I had to start from ABC and he is a keen learner. He sits down with me for 45 minutes every afternoon after serving us the afternoon tea.
As I write I can hear Bansi ringing the temple bell just before lighting the lamps. It’s twilight now. Soon it will be pitch dark and cold. I think I’ll just send this off. It’s so expensive to get online these days. That’s why I’m typing this on a word document offline. Earlier I was paying Airtel Rs 250 a month for unlimited access. The connection was slow, but it did not matter. Now they are charging 0.30 paise/50 Kb. Well, it averages out to 10 rupees every time I get online to check mail! And if I start surfing or chatting, the cost could easily go up to 30 rupees! I figured that I will end up spending over a 1000 rupees every month if I get online every day. What is sad that even though Airtel is now charging more, they haven’t improved their quality of service? And I thing this rate change was quite arbitrary. But since they are the only service provider in this region I guess they have a monopoly and there’s probably nothing we could do about it. And certainly not while sitting here in Roldih. At the moment all I can say is that even though I am unhappy with Airtel, I’m grateful, I can at least connect to the world.

Makar Shankranti

Today is Makar Shankranti -- for some it's holy day. I thought some of the kids from Burhikura may not show up. But they all came. It's an important day for the Santhals too. Many of them take a holy dip in the river and have a sort of feast. In fact, Roldih has started celebrating Sohrai (tribal festival) from today. It will last at least three days. A few of the Roldih children have asked for leave for the celebrations.

Yesterday the gurit came to collect rice and vegetables for the feast. We made our contribution. But tomorrow or day after, the whole village will show up. We have already bought some muri (puffed rice) and gur (jaggery) to distribute amongst them. There'll be a lot of drinking, feasting and dancing in the village. They come to the ashram too. But because it's a "holy" place they don't celebrate here. Just beat the drums for a while, collect the "muri" and go back to the village to dance and sing.

The day has not been very eventful. The masons worked on repairs. The painter did not come because of Makar Shankranti. But school went on as usual.

I had expected it to be a very cold day like it happens every year on this day. But surprisingly, it's quite a warm day.

Mundane Day

The day hasn't been special in any way. School. Painting. Repair work. The volunteers are enjoying teaching. I've been too busy with my own classes that I haven't gone around to take pictures of them teaching. I'll have to do that one of these days. The weather has been sunny. But I have been my grumpy self. Not very talkative today.

A Misty Morning

It's been a very misty morning. I couldn't see the volunteer's building which lies across the yard from my room. Then I saw a few huddled shapes. The girls were up early. All amazed at how misty it was and when the sun came up looking like a moon, they all got busy taking pictures. The one you see here was taken in December but today's mist was dense and one could not see the trees that you can see here. Fortunately, the weather changed just before school assembly.

Today 4 kids were hauled up for misdemeanour. I do that at times when things get out of hand. I was told that they are now behaving themselves. That's good. Discipline is paramount at our school. If there's no discipline, the kids don't get to learn anything. And they prevent others from learning too.

Karoline and Renee went to Godda for the police registration. That went off smoothly but they they had trouble shopping. Or rather the shop-keepers had difficulty understanding what they needed. The taxi driver called up twice -- once to ask me what they meant by "chocolates" and once more to ask me what lemon meant. They did get all that they were looking for. But on the way back, the taxi broke down. And so did not get back to the project till 3:00 in the afternoon. They were utterly famished and went straight to the kitchen to eat. Meanwhile, Dani and Tak were biting their nails in suspense -- wondering if the girls had brought the chocolates they had asked for! When they did get their chocolates they stuffed themselves!!!!

Dani and Tak managed their respective classes on their own. They were probably very tired at the end of it. That probably explains why they did not paint anything today. Or maybe they were too full of chocolates? Balai managed to do a lot of work today. We put some of the freshly painted desks in class one. The kids are thrilled. We've already run out of blue paint. We'll have to order more. But the yellow is not coming out very well. Wonder if it is the paint. It's a bit too thin and transparent. Even a double coat doesn't seem to help much.

The masons are busy repairing Bansi and Suman's building. Even though the rooms don't have any windows they continue to sleep there because the roof hasn't come off yet. They'll probably sleep in the kitchen when that happens.

The little pups are getting to be quite a handfull. They run around all over the place and tend to get underfoot. And even through they can hardly walk properly they are very aggressive towards each other. Bruni doesn't seem to care except when someone picks them up. They she get's a little tense.

The late afternoon and evening were rather uneventful. And so ends another day at Roldih.

Though it was Sunday. It turned out to be a very hectic day for everyone. The girls spent most of the morning washing clothes and then the afternoon painting more desks and benches. And I was busy with visitors. First to arrive were Sachin from Godda with two ICICI Bank officials who persuaded me to open and account and also invest some money Mutual Funds. How could I say no considering they came all the way to the Ashram. So hopefully I will have an ICICI account soon. This may prove helpful because ICICI has an ATM in Godda and it will be easy to transfer money to the project.

Bhola came as soon as they left. He helped Balai paint while I had lunch. Chatted with him for a while and then as soon as he left I "supervised" the painting. Did a little bit of painting myself. In the evening Ram Prasad came to say hello and talk about the wild elephants that are on a rampage in the region. Apparently a couple of days ago they did pass the project on their way to Burhikura. I was oblivious to the fact and slept through all the excitement! I'm a light sleeper and so I'm surprised that I slept through the bursting of crackers and the drums that the villagers use to frighten away the animals.

A new weeks starts tomorrow. Karoline and Renee have to go to Godda for Police registration. They have been craving fruits... I do hope they'll manage to pick up some while they are there.
I hope Jehangir has managed to find the globes that I need for school. It would be great if he could bring them tomorrow. I should have asked him to bring a few wall maps. But I guess I will leave it for another time.

Time for me to hit the sack. I'm really feeling tired.

Sunny Saturday

It's been a bright and sunny Saturday that went off well. School started in earnest today. Dani and Karoline teamed up to teach maths to classes 1,2 and 3 while Tak (Katherine) and Renee taught other subjects to nursery and class 1 and 2. School went of really well. It was also shampoo day -- Saturdays we give shampoo sachets to kids who have 100% attendance during the week. This time we had to distribute 82 sachets. That means only 2 kids have been absent during the week.

The mason came to start repair work on the building where Bansi and Suman stay. Unfortunately, Sohrai -- the major tribal festival in this region -- has started and so there was no labour to be found. This festival could last for weeks as it is not held on any particular day. Each village celebrates it according to their own convenience. So there's no guarantee when work will start. Hopefully tomorrow the masons will manage to find people willing to work.

Meanwhile Balai has started painting the desks and benches. The volunteers painted a few desks in the afternoon. Since tomorrow is a Sunay, we are hoping that almost all the benches and desks may get painted. If not the benches, then at least the desks. Let's see how much is achieved at the end of the day tomorrow. Sunday is the busiest day of the week as it's the day we do all the washing and cleaning etc.

The moon is full tonight and the project is bathed in silver. We decided to end the day with a bonfire after dinner. We lit a fire and sat around chatting and drinking "chai". A good end to a good day.

They're All Here

Yesterday someone planted an explosive device at Kargil Chowk, which is the main crossroad in Godda. The bomb went off in the evening just before the Moharram processions converged there. It was sheer luck that the device exploded when it did because otherwise the damage would have been unfathomable both in terms of lives lost and the resulting communal tensions. Unfotunately, some children who were there were severly injured. Maroof, the taxi-man who usually ferries the volunteers between Godda and the project was one of those leading one of the processions. He had a providential escape.

Naturally, the whole place wore a deserted look when the two volunteers -- Renee and Karoline -- arrived this morning. Fortunately, Murtaza -- one of the taxi drivers -- was there when the bus arrived. He called me and I called Jehangir and arranged for the taxi to bring them to the project immediately. They did not stay back for police registration as the atmosphere was tense. So they arrived on the project earlier than expected. But at least they are here. And they are safe. Very tired from the bus journey. But otherwise ok. They were oblivious of what had transpired in Godda and just as well.

It's been an eventful day. The nursery class has been whitewashed and benches put in place. But since the painter was putting the finishing touches in the morning when school started, Dani and Tak held classes outdoors in the warm sun. Later, of course, they moved indoors. Renee and Karoline rested meanwhile.

Once he had finished with whitewashing, Balai, the painter started applying primer to the rest of the desks and benches. In the afternoon Dani and Tak joined him and helped out with the painting. It's great to have these two Australians here. They are hilarious and full of fun. They are both very positive and full of good humour.

Well, now that all the volunteers are here, we will hopefully be able to stick to the routine that I have worked out for school. Hopefully, by tomorrow Renee and Karoline will be rested and will be able to teach.

We've bought some more badminton raquets for school. I am also looking for jigsaw puzzles. So if any of you have a few to spare, send it to us! We will be grateful.

It's a relatively warm night. And there's a bright moon outside. So I'll now go and sit on the verandah and smoke the last cigarette before I turn in.

Nursery Whitewashed

I just spoke to Renee. She's on the bus with Karoline. I'm relieved. They were to contact Sim today or at least call Mitali. They did neither! Anyway, it seems Sim has gone to the bus station to meet them. That's very nice of him.

It's been a good day at the project. Ramprasad finally managed to finish making the desks and benches. The painter came to white wash the remaining classroom that now has the nursery class. As a result we had to declare today as a holiday for the nursery kids. Tomorrow they will have a freshly painted classroom. Hopefully, from tomorrow the desks and benches will start getting painted. Dani and Tak are very keen to do something in the afternoon.

They've both taken to teaching. Today, since nursery was off, they taught in class 1 and really enjoyed themselves. Class 1 kids can understand English and I guess they were able to interact better. I'm really glad they are here. It surely makes life easy for me. I could concentrate on teaching Classes 3 and 4.

The afternoon was lazy. The girls slept. Bansi went to the market. Suman kept giving me periodic cups of tea. And I read a book. Strangely enough I did not feel like taking an afternoon nap as I usually do.

In the evening I gave Dani and Tak their first Hindi lesson! It's dark now. We are all waiting for the dinner bell. There's a moon in the sky but it's too cold to be outside to admire it. But it's not bitterly cold. Though the sky was overcast in the morning. We got sunshine during the rest of the day.

Wet Weather

The weather is miserable. It has been overcast since dawn and even though it wasn’t misty, it was gloomy to begin with. At noon it started raining. And it’s still drizzling. Everything is wet and cold to the touch. The cold seems to seep in under the skin. Wonder how long this weather will continue.

A couple of years ago, we had similar weather that lasted almost a month! It does get a bit miserable around makar shankranti so we were expecting bad weather. But this came a bit sooner than expected. We can only hope it won’t last too long.

We had regular school today. Sim introduced Danielle and Katherine to the nursery class students and they really got into it as if they have been teaching for years. Sim was quite impressed. And so am I. I’m glad they are here to help us start off well.

Sim, however, left this afternoon. We are sad to see him go. He blended in very well and was a true asset while he was here. I enjoyed talking to him and it was a pleasure to see him fit in so well into the project’s routine. Seems he enjoyed the experience too. It’s a pity he had to leave.
The school children are as well behaved as ever. The nursery kids need a bit of disciplining. But they are new and are all very excited about coming to school. In a week’s time they’ll settle down. The other children are quite relieved that studies have started in earnest.

I let the Class 4 children play with the Intel laptops. He kept switching them off! I was not there to supervise them as I was busy with another class. But I thought it would be a good idea to let them familiarize themselves with the machine.

That's Simha McCarter-Ribakoff in the photo on a misty morning. The weather is quite similar right now.

New Volunteers

This morning I decided to admit Pitho's son. Since one of the kids in nursery was actually fit to be in class 1, I moved her up and this created one place to accommodate Shivjatan, Pitho's son. But now Pitho says he is not going to pay the fee! Disgusting.

Today we had classes. Simha taught and so did Bansi and me. We have a workable routine and school has started in earnest.

Two new volunteers have arrived from Australia -- Danielle and Katherine. So we are not under pressure for the moment. Simha, unfortunately, has to leave tomorrow.

The battery is running now and so I am keeping this short. All is well.

I’m sad. A little while ago Pitho and his wife came to see me. Pitho is one of the villagers who sold us this land. But since tribal land cannot be bought, it was “donated” to Dakshinayan. Anyway, Pitho came to get his son admitted. I asked him where he was when admissions were going on? He should have at least informed me that he wanted his son to be admitted so that I’d have kept a place for him. But I suppose because he is one of the “landlords” he expected preferential treatment. I told him admissions were over and that he’d have to wait for next year. He was upset, of course, but what he said really upset me. He accused me of giving preference to the non-tribals. He claimed that the project was of no use to the community. Naturally, I got upset too. Pitho and the other villagers have benefitted a lot from the construction activity on the project. For almost an entire year they have been employed in it. When Pitho wanted to borrow money from the money-lenders I gave him Rs 3000 so that he would not have to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates. His son studied in our school and as and when he needs anything he gets it from here. And yet he accuses me of giving preferential treatment to non-tribals! How ungrateful can one be? What is most upsetting is that he seems to think he has done me a big favour by giving us his land. It isn’t just his to begin with. And then he got paid whatever sum he asked for! No bargaining. And yet.....

At times like this I feel like throwing in the towel and moving away. Why have I spent all my life trying to serve these people who don’t appreciate what’s being done for them?

Total Chaos

Today is the first day of school and total chaos. The desks and benches did not match. And they were assigned to the wrong classrooms. I guess I can hold myself responsible for simply giving instructions and not personally supervising the whole thing. But I can’t be everywhere, can I? I sometimes wonder if the others on the project can think beyond breakfast, lunch and dinner and an occasional trip to the market. Yes, as you can see I am frustrated.

It’s not bitterly cold this morning. The lowest temperature I saw was 10 degrees Celsius. It’s warmer now that we have bright sunshine. The kids are out playing during break and I decided to write yet another post for the blog.

Ramprasad is working on the remaining benches. Simha (Sim) is busy trying to teach nursery. Bansi is trying to figure out where he has stored the Class 1 books and Suman is busy making lunch. I think I’ll declare a holiday once the kids come back from their break.

Last night Bruni and her brood spent the night in Suman’s room on a nice and warm straw bed. She likes it there so much that she’s in there and not out in the sun. It’s probably warmer in there. Her kids don’t like it outside either. They kept up a constant racket till we put them in with their mother. I’ve managed to take some pictures and I am uploading one of them.

It's Freezing!

It was 8 degrees Celsius at 4 am. 10 degrees at 6 am and 12 degrees at 8 am. The skies were clear till about 9 am and then came the mist and everything was hidden from view. The sun had alaready come up by then. But it too got lost in the mist. Fortunately, it did not last long and withing 30 minutes we had bright weather again. The sun, however, failed to warm anything.

Admissions to Nursery and Class 1 started at 9:45 and was over by 10:30. Parents had been queuing up outside since 9:00! So the process did not take too long. Hence, we now have 15 children in Class 1 and 23 in Nursery. One more child may join Nursery tomorrow. There are only six children in Class 4. 15 children in Class 3 and 25 children in Class 2. So in all we will have 84 children this year.

I tried a make a routine. But it's not working out and I am wondering how I am going to manage all these classes between Bansi and me. Bansi can teach Hindi and Maths to children in Nursery, Class 1 and 2. But all other subjest have to be taught by me. When we have volunteers (we will have four in January) it won't be too much of a problem. But what afterwards?

It has been a peaceful but hectic Sunday. Admissions in the morning and Bansi and Suman got busy arranging desks and benches for school which starts tomorrow at 9:30 am. Simha went to Cheo for the day and he got back just as we were putting the finishing touches to the classrooms. He then left with Bansi to go to the market.

It's only 5:50 now. But it's dark and cold. The temperature has suddenly dropped to 12 degrees. In couple of hours it will probably touch 10 or even 8 degrees. Only one hour left to dinner. Then off to bed. Hopefully a restful sleep under the warm quilt.

Happy New Year 2009

I won't call this a new year's resolution, but I am determined to post regular updates at the blog site. It will be one way to ensure that I maintain a project log. I hope I will have the discipline.

I got back to the project this morning and promptly fell asleet after the bus journey. I hadn't slept a wink -- especially after I discovered that we were driving through fog. Visibility was abour 10 yards. I don't know how the driver managed to drive at a steady pace. The taxi ride from Godda to the project was just as harrowing.

But when I finally reached Roldih I was greeted by sunshine and Bruni, who seemed glad I had come back. She shared breakfast with me and then returned to her brood. I saw them this afternoon. Their eyes are open now and they have a tendency to wander off! But most of the time, because of the cold, they stay huddled together.

And it is cold here now. Just before sundown it was 17 degrees Celsius. But once the sun went down the temperature plunged to 13 degrees in an hour. I'm sure it will grow colder as the night progresses.

All's well here on the project. The project team and the kids have been celebrating while I was away. They had a bonfire on the night of the 31st. And on the 1st day of the year all the kids got together and had a picnic in school! Sim says the food was plentiful.

Tomorrow we are going to have admissions for those wanting to join nursery and class one. I wonder how many will come. I am also wondering how I am going to manage all five classes. But we are expecting volunteers on the 6th. So we'll manage this month at least. At least it will be a good start. I'll improvise as we go along.

Well, that's all from me for now. The connection is very slow. So I won't write too much. It may take ages to upload and my laptop's battery may run out. I do hope someone reads all this?