Gateway to India and Elephanta Island

On Sunday I waited around for the shipping company to come by to pick up my documents – my stuff should be here by Saturday! 

I walked over to Zach and Nancy’s (and didn’t get lost!) and we took a cab (it didn’t really happen that quickly but he finally arrived) to the Gateway to India to meet the Thextons.  We walked around the gateway and in the Taj hotel (beautiful) then boarded a boat to Elephanta Island.  The area around the Gateway is full of hawkers trying to get you to buy touristy stuff.

Gateway to India

taj mahal palace hotel

 The boat ride was 130 rupees.  The ride over took about an hour.  There are 1500 people who live on the island. A guy named Krishna who was born there latched onto me and wanted to give us a tour.  For 400 rupees he would explain all the caves to us “protect” us from the monkeys and tell us the ends and outs of what goes on on the Island. Zach told him he’d give him extra if we saw a cobra.  Ha!  We didn’t.   I ended up giving him 500 and we bought him a beer.  He did a great job.

 The caves have all these great carvings and sculptures of Hindi gods.  A lot of them are missing limbs etc because the Portuguese used them for target practice trying to rid the area of Hindus.  Nancy is Portuguese so we teased her a lot J The island is peaceful and quiet compared to Mumbai standards.  Krishna says there is a Hindi festival in February where they sacrifice goats and have a big celebration.  It is open to the public.  I am there!

monkey with b

The boat ride back was a lot less pleasant – the water was choppy and lots of it was splashing on the boat.  We tried to keep our mouths closed.  They pulled our boat up to another boat and we had to get off with them bouncing all over etc.  there was an older woman and she was obviously not super limber and able to jump out of the boat.  The guy kept trying to drag her but her children hung onto her – they were scared for her safety.  The boat man got really upset!!!  Got in our boat and was ylling at the daughter right in her face!!  I’m not sure what their hurry was and why they couldn’t wait a few extra seconds per person til the boats were aligned better.  Tully and Rick got off and the boats were really even and I went right after but the second I stepped out boat dipped and I was straddling both and then was squatting so low I couldn’t get up.  Three men grabbed my arm to pull me up – surprised I don’t have bruises.  The cab ride home was interesting too.  This the fasted I’ve ever seen a cab go!!  He was speeding in and out of lanes, ignoring signals and honking like crazy.  (which they all do, they just don’t go very fast)  nancy and I couldn’t look!  They guy just said “this is India!  This is how we drive!!”

I got home alive and worked with Bryan on some math stuff and went to bed.  Very fun trip for my first official weekend here!  I am putting more of the pics up on facebook. 

The India food is catching up to me and I am a chunky monkey!  Do they have weightwatchers here in Mumbai?!?!?!

ridiculously lost in Mumbai

So, it's Saturday morning and I thought I go exploring.  I walked down to the Promenade to see what the running situation might be.  I left at 6:45 am and it was quiet but starting to get busy so if I go at 5 like I've been advised the streets should be still enough that I can run to the Promenade.  the Promenade goes along the Arabian Sea.  It is so beautiful.  It isn't beachy like you could swim or anything but it smells way better than Galveston Bay!!  I saw very few runners, but a lot of walkers and people sitting out on the rocks just thinking etc.  On my map it was Carter road curves to the right and there is nowhere else to go.  So I thought I take the curve and walk to Linking rd and see what shops are there.

That is not where I ended up!

I live in Bandra West which is a part of Mumbai that is nice - lots of shops and restaurants and people tend to have a better quality of life here.  I walked into a part of Mumbai that was totally different but I saw some cool things - but didn't have my camera.  The streets here are FAR more crowded!!  Everything is in Marathi or Hindi - I don't know the difference.  I saw a man brushing his teeth with q-tips over a drain.  I saw a little boy - maybe three (hard to tell they are so little) naked and peeding into a drain.  I so no adults around and wondered who he belonged to then I walked a little further and saw a bunch of people laying outside a store where they spent the night.  There were chickens in cages on the street.  There were tons of richshaws and crowds of people.  I was trying to keep track of where I was but that is hard to do. 

1. my map doesn't show all streets and I wasn't on my map part of the time

2. I think I saw one named street in an hour - they don't put signs

3. there is no sun to help me.

4.  I try to notice what I am passing etc.  but there is sooooo much to notice that what you notice going oneway is not what you noticed the other way.  Also it was early morning so stalls were closed up etc but then when I am the other way they were all open and looked different.  and all the signs were in Hindi or Marathi so no words stood out to me.

I got very near the airport!  - could see the planes taking off.  I was hopelessly lost so I tried to ask for directions back to the sea.  I asked more than 10 people.  No one spoke English.  If I come across a Spanish speaker and I ask if they speak English they shake their head and say "no English".  If they ask me "hablas espanol"  I don't speak fluently but i know they are asking if I speak Spanish.  The people here didn't flicker recognition at the word English.  and when I showed them a map they didn't even know what to do with it.  I found a sign that said Juhu Tara rd (Mumbai people - how far is Juhu beach from here?  was I close??  :) :) and I found two guys who spoke a little english and told me where I was, but not how I could get to where I was going.  I started walking and this angel of a Rickshaw driver pulled over and asked me if I needed help.  He said he was an educated man so he spoke English.  I told him I was trying to find Carter rd by the Arabian Sea.  He looked shocked and said "that's in Bandra'  ha!  I had walked myself right out of Bandra.  I was kind of tired and he told me I was 5k from Carter rd and then it is still a decent walk home from that and I'd already been walking for an hour and a half so I asked him to drive me there.  He was very nice and dropped me off at a place on Carter road where I knew how to get home! 

Lessons learned - never take a new route unless you have LOTS of time - always carry money with you!

yesterday we did a lot of school work.  I am going to work on math stuff today and reward my self later by taking a break and walking to Linking rd which was my destination today and never got there!! 

Jordan the other middle school Math teacher so we've been working on curriculum.   Thankfully I have a classroom but Jordan and Pauline (the French and Spanish teacher) doesn't so they use my room too.  so my 6th grade classroom will have Algebra and French posters in it :)  Preya is my downstairs neighbor - she teaches high school English.  Yesterday was Jordan's birthday so a group of us went out to eat.  Preya took these pictures with her phone.  My camera battery died so I didn't get any group pics. 

Jordan and I in front of his building

Preya and I

Meeting returning teachers

So yesterday we graduated from new teacher status and today ALL the staff came back.   Some people didn't get here until this morning!  Including Will.  Will is Pauline's significant other and he lost his passport the day they were flying to Newark.  he flew with her hoping they would find his passport in the suitcases during their long layover. No such luck - he had to fly back to Green Bay and has spent the last week trying to get a new passport and visa! 

They had a wonderful welcoming ceremony for the new teachers.  They had us all go to the front of the room and put red marks on us "tikka" and lay the garlands on us.  very cool.

        We moved around at the tables a lot so we got to meet many of the returning staff.  It is hard to remember names!  I cannot believe the sheer number of staff.  Way more than my last school and it had twice as many kids!      

We got to spend some time in our classrooms today.

Attitude of Graditude

I’ve heard of people keeping gratitude journals – writing everyday things they are thankful for.  I think if I were to do that right now, I would never stop writing!!  Every day I could just sit for hours and list things I am thankful for.  So I thought I’d list a few…

1)     That ASB is so so so so helpful in getting us settled.

2)    That I haven’t been hit by a car or rickshaw yet!

3)    That I have wonderful friends sending encouraging thoughts.

4)    That ASB gave us phones so we can keep in the school loop.

5)    That I can use the phone to call the states. J

6)    That my principal is so kind and thoughtful.

7)    That my sister and the baby are doing well – should be born any day now.

8)    That ASB provides transportation to and from school every day.

9)    That ASB provides us with shopping trips.

10)                       That my niece is one step closer to getting out of the foster system and being adopted.

11)                       That I am able to have a maid here J

12)                       That I get to live in a clean safe place.

13)                       That the traffic noises in my apartment aren’t too bad.

14)                       That I have a bed to sleep in.

15)                       That lots of people are praying for me.

16)                       That there is such a thing as “school dude” and they will come fix everything

17)                       That most of the middle school teachers are male and wear shorts and stuff so I

            don’t feel out of place not dressing all cute like a lot of the other women J

18)                       That strangers have gone out of their way to help me find a church.

19)                       That I have internet and can communicate with people back home.

20)                       That other ASB employees live in my building.

21)                       That the school lunch food is yummy J

22)                       That the rain has been much less the last two days J

23)                       That the Indian people I have run into so far are super nice and helpful.

24)                       That my classroom has a window

25)                       That I am making some friends here..

There are a ton more – I could go on and on J so much to be thankful for!

Today we got to work with our curriculum so that was nice.  We also had a presentation on security.  Everyone that was worried about my safety can rest a little easier.  ASB has got it covered!!  They have armed security around the school; guards trained in martial arts, bomb defusal, etc; and emergency plans  for fire, earthquakes, civil unrest, hostage situations and terrorist attacks.  We are near the US consulate so they share any info that they have.  There are “safe rooms” and cameras etc.   I feel safer here than I did at schools in the states!

 Today was a great day!  and we get to meet the other teachers tomorrow!

oh yeah... I now have wireless internet in my apartment!!!!!!

Weirdest Experience so far!!!!

So I was walking and came across St. Andrews church and decided to stop in to see if I could get a mass schedule and figured I could go there until I found another church.  People were walking in and out of it because a mass was going on.  Apparently you don’t have to show up and the beginning and stay the whole time J  I sat in the back and listened for awhile.  I saw papers on the sides and thought it might be a bulletin with info.  It was more of a newsletter.  This Indian lady saw me looking around and told me to meet her outside.  She said she’d been at the church for 15 years and I thought she would tell me about what it does etc…

What happened next was one of the weirdest conversations I’ve ever had!  I asked what kind of work she did.  She said her husband in Canada sends her money every three months.  They’ve been married 11 years but they live in different countries. ????  She kept asking me how long my flight from Canada was even though I repeated told her I was from the states.  She said she was going to Canada in few weeks for the first time. ???  but she’s been married for 11 years?  She talked about money a lot.  Saying she starves a lot.  Then saying she has lots of money.  She kept mentioning Dubai and I asked why she goes to Dubai so much if it isn’t for her work – she said “for the gold”  huh??  Randomly she said she doesn’t like black people because they are fat and black people should be thin?!?!?!?   She said Indian’s speak hi class English and she didn’t like certain people/countries because their English was “low brow”.  She said she didn’t like being on a plane because of the AC – too stifling… and I quote “there is no fresh air on a plane – I’m use to all the fresh air in Mumbai”  S E R I O U S L Y?????????  I don’t think I’ve taken one good breath of air.  I smell exhaust on me all the time. 

She was a very nice lady.  Talked to me about the area – not sure how much was true.  Even though she says she starves a lot, she didn’t ask for money (which is where I thought the conversation would go when she sat next to me), she looked in much better shape than a lot of beggars I see.   She didn’t seem like she was on drugs or mentally ill and I am usually good about spotting those things.  Anyway it was one of the most weird encounters I’ve had so far.  The church was quaint and the area outside it looked like a grave yard – it was totally flat cement with rectangles that had people’s names like a grave stone, but different. 

Maybe I’ll check it out on a day that I can talk to someone a little more…. Sane. J

I had a better day today!

I had a really good day today!  I generally wake up right before my alarm because it gets light out and the birds are LOUD!  I turn on my geezer to warm up my shower then I check email and facebook – It is about 8pm central time so I can read about everyone’s day.  Today I got the news that my niece who is a foster child J  is one step closer to being adopted by my friends.  Yea!  We had school sessions today and I learned a lot and didn’t feel too overwhelmed.  Still haven’t tackled the math part yet... but the rest of school seems more manageable.  It is actually not raining right now and I would love to explore, but I am waiting for the internet guy – 6^th time – hopefully it will be working by the end of today!!

Several other people have told me they have had meltdowns too so I feel better about that.  Not that I want others to have meltdowns!!  Ha!!  But that I am not the only one.

This is my first day coming home to a house cleaned by a maid!!  Laundry done and ironed, floors clean, dishes cleaned and put away.  She even laid out my running medals all pretty J  (I only brought a few with me – the others and the display stand it coming in my shipment)

At every interview I asked if there were Christian churches in the area.  Beijing was very honest and said there were some for expats but locals were not allowed to go etc.  Here they told me there were a lot within walking distance.  I’ve seen 2 and they are both Catholic.  Who knows, maybe these Catholic churches are structured more like Protestant churches.  The one I went to in Houston had Bible studies which the ones back home never did.  I am hoping to find a non Catholic Christian church in the area.  I met a woman today who has been at the school for 20 years and she is from a missionary family and she said she’d think about the area churches and talk to me about it later.  She asked me if I was told there were loads of churches here and she kind of laughed.  I think she was hinting that some people’s perception of that differs.  I don’t think they were trying to lie to me J  Catholic Churches are technically Christian because they believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but all their extra add ins are convoluted.   I went to a Catholic church my whole life and still go with my dad at Christmas, I have nothing against them, but I prefer to go to an evangelical one just to keep my walk with the Lord strong.  I think once I find a family of believers, I will feel more connected. 

We have one more day of new teacher training then all the teachers come Thursday.  The kids come next Thursday.  It is fantastic they come Thursday and Friday  then we get a three day weekend!!!   I don’t think I will plan a trip for then, maybe something here in Mumbai.  Hopefully I will get my shipment by then and be able to unpack and feel a little more settled.

Getting excited to meet the other teachers!

My first meltdown

Well today is my 4^th full day in India and I had my first meltdown L 

I actually had a really good day.  The busses picked us up at 7:30 and took us to school.  We started with a middle school meeting.  My principal is Fiona and she is awesome!  She is coming from Brazil (originally from Canada I think).  Katie is the Assistant principal and has been here for 5 years (from San Franscisco) so she is a wealth of information about the school and life here.  Purvi is an Indian woman that is doing the service learning program.  Kurt is science, Paul is Social studies, Corey is Language Arts, and Jordan is my math teaching partner.  Everyone but Purvi and Katie were with us in Memphis so I felt really comfortable and we talked about how the school runs etc.  Then we had a tech meeting with all the teachers.  The school has 13 tech related employees!  13!!  We have a lot of support.  I was even helping people with what we were doing.  I am behind most of the people on tech stuff so to be able to help people is a miracle!

We had a great lunch then delved into Veracross  (their grading and attendance system) and “the portal”  where all our school info is.   This where I started to feel a little overwhelmed.  Other people had used systems like this and they are talking about saving all these google docs and sharing them and I don’t know how…

Then we went to a meeting with the school psychologist – she did a thing on the stages of culture shock.  I know I am still in the honeymoon period but I have been doing well – I don’t mind that my apartment has terrible furniture and that I am one of the only few people that don’t have internet in my apartment yet.  I haven’t been too wigged out about all the trash I have to walk through or the traffic and constant honking.  I’m not too happy about the constant rain, but I have been doing ok.  So as she was talking about the ups and downs of culture shock I was feeling like I wouldn’t have a problem for a few weeks.  Then they put three new teachers with three or four Indian staff so they could answer questions and tell us things about Mumbai.  The other two people at my table seemed to understand what the Indians were talking about and I didn’t.  There are only four of us in our group of 20 + new people who have never taught overseas before.  I constantly feel like a kid that is several grade levels behind!  Even though they have never lived in India, they still have a lot of background knowledge about things from living in other Southeast Asian countries.   I have never seen showers, hot water, lights, appliances like this and I hear a steady stream of “this is how it was in Rio, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jeddah, etc…  and I have no reference point.  They wanted us to ask the Indians questions, but I don’t even know enough to know what to ask!!!  I also have eaten Indian food maybe twice before I came here so I don’t know what anything is.  When someone says the name of something everyone ( it seems like)  nods and says “oh I had the best __________ in ________”  I love hearing about all the places people have been and where they taught, but it just reminds me that I haven’t a clue what I’m doing.  So anyway tears started sliding down my cheeks then I started really crying.  Just really overwhelmed.  I don’t know what people are talking about 30% of the time at school and 80% everywhere else.  I was crying and said “I need to find a  church”  Several people have said there are Protestant churches here, but they don’t know where they are.  Kelli said her family was looking for one too so maybe we can find one together. I like to walk outside a lot and it just never stops raining here.  I haven’t seen the sun in days – that bums me out.   Everyone was very nice – telling me it would get easier and even though they are doing ok now, they might crash months from now.   Karen walked with me to go get some chocolate because I knew that would make everything better!

Amy and I interviewed a maid that worked for someone else at the school.  Her name is Jacintha (she goes by Jessie) and is adorable.  She will go to Amy’s house M/w and mine t/th.  She will clean and do laundry and ironing on Tuesdays and go shopping and cook on Thursdays.  On Friday she will do both houses and just clean up for the weekend etc.  I think my meltdown really started last night with the washer fiasco.  Today the guy came and Jessie was here interviewing at that time so she helped communicate with him in Hindi.  Amy and I were going to have her put name cards on things so we could learn Hindi, but Jessie can’t write in Hindi, only speak it. 

Ending the day on a good note – went out to the market today without a map for the first time!!!  Going to work on some math – that makes me happy!!

Pray that I won’t feel so overwhelmed and confused, that I will make some close friends, that I will understand school expectations and do well in that area.  I have to keep reminding myself I have been here less than a week!!!