Let Me Speak to Them…By: Luke Williams

 

We’re finally here! After way too many hours spent on planes, in security lines, and squished in back seats, we made it to our lovely lodge. I have been blessed with Liam, Noah, and Holland as roommates in the only room with a loft. Score! We wasted no time after getting to the lodge and woke up at 7am sharp, to have time for the water heater to warm up. Unfortunately, most of us were still subject to the polar plunge instead of a hot shower. Nevertheless we were ready to embark on the bumpy ride to the school, weaving in and out of traffic the entire way.

Today I went into the school with an optimistic attitude following yesterday’s success. We ate breakfast and packed up nice and tidy and were off to teach. Upon arrival, the kids were just as happy to see us as we were to see them, with one difference; They were much more energetic. The children are split into 4 classes based off age. The two oldest groups are very good at grasping the unfamiliar topics, as well as participating. The younger groups, however, are much less responsive to English. Because of this, they tend to be much less invested in what we have to say and would much rather hit each other or climb all over me. I am looking forward to the rest of the school week and am excited to build on the relationships we have crafted with the kids. One student, Sameer, has captured a lot of my attention. He is a very quiet yet energetic boy, who doesn’t love participating in class unless called upon, but he is very capable of answering all the questions in English. On the first day I noticed his hand was covered in burns which looked fresh. After asking the teachers if they knew anything about it, we learned that a firecracker had exploded in his hand, leaving it extremely burned and raw. Luckily, Talli is coming to our school tomorrow to administer medical exams and treat Sameer’s wound. I can’t wait to see the foreign rascals tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my birthday, which is crazy to think about. I left the country a boy and am coming back an adult. I will have free will to stay in the mountains of Chandigarh and live out the rest of my days as a cow herder-That’s the life. If I’m feeling extra entrepreneurial, I’ll open a Men’s Wearhouse/pharmacy in the market in Kullu. There seems to be a big market for one-stop shops here. It’s shocking to see that street dogs are just as prevalent and ignored as pigeons. They constantly approach you looking for food and you aren’t allowed to touch them. It’s hard to resist petting them, however, I can’t say the same about the monkeys; they look vicious. I like to think they are very wise, and if I could only speak to them, all my questions would be answered, and I would reach nirvana.