Before embarking on this program we were told several times to be flexible. I am now getting several opportunities to be this way. For one, the date and time for one of my presentations has changed twice in the past 24 hours, and for two, as for the demo lesson I am giving on Friday, I am supposed to be given a topic but haven't yet. I kind of figured this would happen at some point or another so none of this is truly a surprise.
These last minute changes are certainly not worth worrying about. I'm going to do a lesson on poetry, a lesson I've taught several times before to all different groups of American students with great success, so I am confident that will go quite well. And as for the presentation, I'll throw a PowerPoint and some notes together over the weekend. I only feel bad because I've had to ask the Vice Principal at my school three separate times for permission to be absent from my host school, and I know my Vice Principal is very busy with other more important things.
This is sort of how India is. Things tend to change at the last minute and often it's hard to get a straight answer from anybody. It is sort of frustrating for someone like me- I am a planner and like having things settled and absolutely hate any kind of uncertainty when it comes to the itinerary. Perhaps my coming to India, where things are the way they are, is an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and let fate handle things.
I spent some time in the "Gents Staff Room" today talking with the male teachers about the American educational system. It was very interesting to hear their questions. They wanted to know about how well-informed American students are about current events, and I had to admit that I don't think most American teenagers pay attention to the news. On the contrary, the students I've met in India heavily follow Indian politics and world events and have strong opinions on everything. I thought it was sort of a universal thing to be self-centered as a teenager, to not care to look beyond your own experiences, so seeing other types of kids is a very nice learning experience for me. The "gents" also wanted to know about teachers' level of esteem in America and whether women find teachers acceptable grooms. (I didn't ask whether any of these men were married, mind you). But since I hadn't spent any time in the Gents room until today, it was nice to have that experience and everybody was really sweet and curious to know all sorts of things. I only wish we had had more time to talk- the bell rang and everybody was scattered in different directions to teach.
Last night Beth and I went over to Safdarjung Enclave, where one of her teacher friends, Shalini, lives. To make a long story short, Shalini did a 6 month Fulbright exchange with this woman Breanna, who did the program last year with Beth. I met Breanna when I was in DC for the pre-trip orientation a few weeks ago. Anyway, Beth and I had been wanting stainless steel ware: I wanted some tiffins and she wanted some dishes. Shalini had some free time and knew of a good place right in her neighborhood, so we met her at her place and made it all happen.
So I didn't get the exact tiffins I was looking for, but I am happy with my purchases. In addition to a couple nesting tiffins, I got some small and large plates, some little bowls for soup, some littler bowls for pickle or chutney, and a thali. High quality, great prices, how could I go wrong?
This trip has really inspired me to want to learn more about different types of cooking. I love to cook and can follow a recipe, but I'm completely ignorant when it comes to any type of traditional cuisine. I'm interested in learning the principles, techniques, and theories behind different types of Indian cooking- and there are many different types! I'm hoping to pick up some books on this when I get home- not just cookbooks, but books that go into detail about techniques and why certain ingredients are preferred over others in certain regions of India.
But perhaps the REAL reason why I want to learn more about Indian cooking is that I have eaten some of the best food in the world over the past few days. And it hasn't come from 5 star restaurants. It has come from the kitchens of the teachers at my school! Now that they actually believe what I've been telling them since we met- that I love Indian food- a few of the ladies have been bringing food for me. Not "have a bite of this" (which had been happening all along) but "I made you this tiffin." So today I probably ate enough for 4 meals, within the space of a couple hours. I thought I would burst but any pounds gained on this trip will be from lovingly prepared delicious Indian food given to me by caring and wonderful people- just another souvenir!
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