Impressions of Delhi

(From the pages of my moleskin journal)

We left around 5:30 AM for a quick trip in two taxis to the airport for our 3 day adventure to Delhi and Agra to see the sites of central India.  The airline was Spice Jet and I even managed to snag a whole row with a window to watch the skies.

Delhi is very green with offset areas free of development (a nice change from Kolkata).  From the plane you can see the slum areas intermingled with some ritzy areas.  From the airport in Delhi we boarded the Tourist bus and we were off to see some of the sites in Delhi.  The museum had some incredible pieces of art and sculpture.  The intricate detail and sheer volume of history was almost overwhelming at times as I was walking through the museum.  I was impressed with the progression of the art and its relationship with the historical events in the many states of India.



A brief stop to visit the last home of Gandhi was enlightening.  Very different impression than the visit to Tagore's homes last weekend.  Despite the fact that Gandhi came from a similar background, I do not get the elitist feel and impressions I had from Tagore.  Gandhi appears to have been much more in touch with the people and welcoming to the experiences of everyone.  Tagore had a vision with Nature as a key to education and life, whereas Gandhi had a vision of education to better the status of all, including women and the poorer castes.




The local tomb in Delhi is quite a fascinating mausoleum with 150 tombs and very beautiful decorations worked into the very design.  It took 18 years to complete with most of the materials hauled by elephants and laborers by hand.  The size is incredible, but I was most intrigued by the gravity flow channel system that feeds the various ponds and gardens within the grounds.  Extremely impressive since the channels have a very slight grade that allows a gentle flow of water through the system.

Of course, as a final note, the US Embassy is the largest one in India and is extremely visible from the road.  Just thought that an interesting side note.

Addendum from the drive to Agra:

The falcons sitting on top and flying around of the mausoleum in Delhi were pretty spectacular with the occasional green parrot making an appearance.

Angry birds are all the rage in India apparently, from the women selling balloons on the roads at stoplights and stop signs, to the the squawking and squeaking angry bird puppets of the sidewalk market vendors.

Driving from Delhi to Agra is about 4 hours and 200 km or so from Delhi.  Along the expressway are quite a few runners in training and hanging out on the side of the road.  Some of them are really booking along.

Saw grass huts in the midst of fields of sugarcane as well as huddled up to the sides of large compounds.

This is really the first area in India that I have really seen the caste system in full force and very visible.

Traveling on an amazingly modern toll road expressway through very agricultural areas.  Grass huts, walled compounds, and brick kilns are very much in evidence.

(Pictures to follow when I get back to Kolkata)

School Today was Great

You know those days when everything just works out perfectly?  Yep, it was an awesome day at school today.  I tried out different strategies and things in all of my classes today and they went even better than expected.  The puzzle graphic organizer worked for the current event articles, the compare/contrast with summary AVID diagram worked amazingly well for the geography class on monsoon and Mediterranean climates, and the student role play for biology food chains and webs got the point across.  Thanks to my mentor teacher, Debatri and the other teachers at the Loreto School for letting me experience their classrooms and students.  I hope they are learning as much from me as I am from them.


                                                     

  

The Indian Museum of Kolkata

This afternoon after school I was lucky enough to catch the tram rather quickly and get home at a decent hour.  In fact, it was enough time to take a trip to the Indian Museum down the road.  The museum was founded in 1814 and is a very interesting architectural structure in Kolkata.  It is currently undergoing renovations and the plaster is being removed and then underlying brick structure being repaired (by hand!!).  I'm not sure if it is going to be re-plastered or if the brickwork will remain exposed.  Again, it is that juxtaposition of modern and ancient techniques and practices side by side.

At first, I was a bit disappointed in the museum since we started upstairs in the mammal section.  Then exploring further, we saw some fascinating Indian sculptures, archaeological finds, and paintings that were impressive, not only in age, but in style and design.  From bronze to copper to stone, they were large and minuscule, detailed and vague.  Definitely worth the two hours I spent in the museum.  Some very unique items of Indian history throughout the museum and even an Egyptian mummy.

The Journey Back to Kolkata

(As taken from the pages of my journal)
It has been an interesting 2 days in Shantinetikan and the surrounding area.  Tagore is definitely the heart of the systems here, with a very revered status amongst the people.   Touring the high school and university campuses was a scene of a true open-air no walls concept.  Classes are held mostly outside.  K-8 students explore their natural surroundings with a special focus on music, dance, arts, and poetry.  The basics of reading, writing, and math are also taught with school beginning at 5:30.  A very unique aspect is that the K-12  is located within the university complex and these students have access to the university students and professors.

Throughout this weekend, the question of elitism and idealism were topics of conversation.  I am interested in Tagore the man and what is early and middle years were like.  He was definitely in the elite class, and originally the school was for the elite.  It appears to have evolved in the last 20 years or so bringing rural and tribal people into the school.  How will his philosophy and beliefs transfer back out into these communities?  What is the impact of the students who return home on their tribes and villages?

A theme that is common both here and at the Loreto school in Kolkata is creativity.  Creativity is taught in the arts, but it is not very visible in the other realms.  By creativity, I mean the application and analysis of content material to the students' lives and communities.  Moments of reflection, or analysis of experimental results, that type of thing.  Students know content very well, but struggle to apply that knowledge to situations or their own lives.    If students read a poem, the teacher explains what it means and students write that down.  Whereas at Ocean View, students would read the poem, offer up their interpretations and impressions and then we discuss it together.  It often leads to me changing that I teach that day and gives students a chance to apply something to their own like.  I wish that I could get my own students to remember content the way it is done here in India without losing the application and creativity piece.  That is something I am working on to take away from this amazing trip.  The best part of this weekend was spending the morning, conversating with some of the teachers at the school.  It was a time of sharing experiences, methods, success and opportunities on both sides.  I think this was one of the most beneficial and enlightening moments of my trip so far.

Off to Shantiniketan - with a few Pictures

(As taken from the pages of my journal written on the train)

So, arrival at the train station early around 5:10 AM was like arriving in the midst of a Kipling novel.  The names on the timetable boards are right out of the stories I read when I was younger.  The booking station is very British colonial still today with long queues waiting to purchase fares.

Walking to the platform I see children who live in the station sleeping, the vendors sleeping beside or on top of their wares.  On a crowded platform, a woman ask for change moving through the press of bodies with a tin cup.  Even now, it is humid.

When our train eases into the platform, the crowd surges to the general boarding doors, banding on them to open to secure a seat for their trip.  We have seats in the AC car, so not quite the frantic rush to board since the seats are reserved.  The trains are electric and move pretty quick through the suburbs and then then the countryside.  Very lush, wet, and green right now outside the window.

Pulling into another station, more people press on board the train cars.  Vendors hawk newspapers, coffee, tea, chips, and various items for consumption and sampling.

Villages out the window are comprised of dirt roads, houses of bamboo poles, canvas sack walls, and concrete.  Women gather water from wells while children are playing in the streets even this early in the morning.  Just so happens the sun rises around 4:30 here, so early start if you get up with the sun.  Sometimes, there is no platform and people wait on the side of the track to jump on the train or sell fruit to those on board through the windows.

On one platform I saw this sign:

The 4 Ways Test of the the things we think, say, or do:
1.  IS it the TRUTH?
2.  IS it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4.  Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Interesting philosophy and some food for thought.  Perhaps my class rules next year?

Our university student tour guide