We’ve had a fab day talking to all the Indian teachers. We’ve taught them phonics and maths today, showing them lots of fun activities for them to use when we’ve gone. They were really keen and interested in everything we had to say and very interesting for us to hear how they do things.
On the way home we followed a truck with a clay model of a goddess which was being taken to the Ganges to be thrown in in a special ceremony. The clay dissolves in the water and will be there to be taken out for the next festival- ultimate recycling! Look how beautifully she’s been painted and dressed.
We’re off out for dinner- chat tomorrow! xx
Visiting Hastings School, Kolkata 
What are you planning for tomorrow with the Hastings children? We miss you very much.
Love Zoe
LikeLike
Morning Zoe! Today we are going to school to try lots of the counting and phonics games that we were showing the teachers yesterday so that Mrs Gupta can see that the Hastings children can do them. We might even see if we can teach them enough sounds so that the older ones can read one of the Songbirds books to the little ones- that would be brilliant! (We miss you too but it’s only three more sleeps now and we start the journey home! x)
LikeLike
You’ve put some beautiful pictures online – what’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen in India? And what’s the most challenging? Love and prayers to you all. Stephen Monk
LikeLike
Well now, there’s a question! The culture here is so rich and so different that everything you see all day long does either inspire you or challenge you. The Mother Theresa House is an incredible place to spend time and somewhere that you certainly come away from a little bit different from how you went in. The clashes of such vibrant cultures and the way they manage to rub along together is inspiring too… The challenge has to be just how tough life is for the majority of people living here- incredibly hard manual labour for long hours, very poor living conditions and no opportunity to change their situation. The Hastings children are undoubtedly our biggest inspiration and our link with them should make us feel very challenged to think how we can best support them. (Not sure that’s a clear answer to either of your questions but it’s as near as you’re going to get!)
LikeLike