Last day!

8/12/10 6pm

Today was a very bittersweet day for me at KV No. 2, filled with many surprises and tons of love. I received so many gifts from the teachers, and had kids coming up to me all day asking for my autograph and giving me small tokens of affection, like pens and homemade cards. I don't think that I can really put into words how much today meant to me- but suffice to say, I have never had an experience like I did today and probably never will again.

I was able to address the whole school this morning during morning assembly, and I hope I expressed my gratitude adequately. The school community, from the very beginning, treated me like a member of the family and I felt at home right away. The teachers were all so nice, especially the ladies, and the students have all been so sweet and loving and inquisitive, if a little shy. I told the students that I hoped that they learned from the experience of having me around, and that I learned from them too. In fact, I probably learned more than I was able to teach. I encouraged them to continue to work hard and in all their endeavors and be kind and compassionate to others, and show everyone they meet the same kindness that they have showed me.

The day was a blur- I went to my regular classes and did a little bit of teaching, but mostly I got pulled from classroom to classroom meeting with classes for a few minutes at a time. I really felt like a celebrity and even kids I hadn't met before said how much they were going to miss me. It was really cute!

The teachers threw a little surprise party for me- everybody got called into the library after school and we had pakoras, sweets, and chai. I didn't expect such a to-do, but the teachers and administrators were all coming up and making speeches about how much they enjoyed having me, and I got some nice gifts that everybody chipped in to get me. Everyone said the most wonderful things: how I fit right in and never seemed like an outsider to them; how much they loved that I wore Indian clothing to school; what a great teacher I am; how friendly and cheerful I am; how excited they were to bring me food every day; how I have such wonderful values… it was amazing and wonderful. The principal also described me as "perfect" which was quite flattering! I have never before had the experience of people saying so many nice things to me at one time and being so genuinely appreciative.

Teachers don't usually get any glory, and I am not used to being the center of attention, so being here in India and having so much positive feedback and praise lavished on me has been a totally new experience. The school appreciated me immensely just for being there and talking with them, and I am not used to people being so excited just to have me around. It has been a month of living almost like a celebrity- staying in a fancy hotel, getting driven around, room service, so much appreciation and smiles from everyone constantly- being treated this way, how could anyone NOT come off as a friendly and happy person?

But alas, all good things must come to an end, and so I look forward to my last evening in India. A mehendi artist is coming to our hotel to jazz up our hands and feet with lovely henna designs. Although mehendi is traditionally done just before a wedding, it is acceptable to have it done to mark a special occasion, and I cannot think of an occasion more special than coming home from this 5 week journey. Since it's best not to move or sweat for a couple hours after mehendi, so that the henna really looks sharp and lasts a long time, I am glad that we won't have to venture out to do it. As you can imagine, India is extremely hot and humid and just the act of stepping outside to walk to the convenience store next to the hotel leaves you dripping with sweat! So, any opportunity to avoid that is a good thing.

And then tomorrow night we go to the airport for a 2am flight. Yeah, I've never taken a flight that leaves at 2am but apparently that's how they do things here. We'll be taking off from the new "T3" at Indira Gandhi International Airport- there's been a lot of hullabaloo about it in the papers because there are still some things that haven't gotten worked out- for example, none of the counters have land lines to other terminals in the airport. The terminal has been open for about 2-3 weeks, and it seems that international travelers aren't facing the same amounts of problems as domestic travelers who have to make international connections- or something like that. Anyway, I'll be traveling for about 24 hours, approximately 7 of which will be spent at the Frankfurt airport. It's going to feel so great to get home!

This month has really flown by. I've had mostly good times and a couple difficult moments where I felt homesick and lonely. (Not to mention the abuse my digestive system has been subjected to.) It's hard to leave behind everything and everyone you know and go halfway around the world not knowing what's going to happen or what to expect. But I did it. And this trip, really, has made me a different and a better person. I am so lucky to have been given this opportunity, and I can't wait to get home to share my experiences with everyone.