As I sit under the drifting halo of my mosquito net and reflect on the past few days in Chennai, India, my heart is full. It is full of the love of a country I have come to know intimately, but which constantly surprises me. It is full of the children peaking out from the creases of their mothers Saris as a family of four races along the congested street, all on one motorcycle with no helmets in sight. My heart is full of the smell of garbage, heat, cows and joy and full of the colors of brown cows in the road, jet black dogs sleeping in corners and the cheerful, sometimes lonely eyes of the kids I get to spend the next two weeks with.
On my third day here, I finally feel settled and rested. Twenty-seven plus hours of travel, overnights on planes trying to sleep sitting up and too many meals served on trays, exhausted me on my way here. Now that I've exhaled the airplane air and inhaled dirt, grime, heat and pure fascination I am ready to continue this third adventure in a country that feels just as much like home as my own bedroom in Minneapolis.
This morning was a visit to the school I'll be helping at for at least this first week of my stay. We met the principle, a very kind, gentle and excited man who was clearly thrilled we were there to help. We then went around to the classrooms (7 in all) and met the kids. They stared at us with large brown eyes and chimed "Good Morning Missus" in unison.
The afternoon was spent speckling ourselves with white and pink paint as we re-finished the children's dorms at SEAM Children's Home--a place for orphaned and poor children to live and go to school. The best part of the sweaty, messy afternoon was the look of appreciation on the faces of the girls who saw us finishing up their dorm room when they came home from school. Our day ended with games of cricket, table pool played with coins in a wooden board and lots of hugs and struggles over our attention from the kids.
I am happy to report that tonight's shower might have been the best shower ever taken by anyone, ever. However, despite my cleanliness, I am now sweaty all over again after washing my laundry in a bucket.
On my third day here, I finally feel settled and rested. Twenty-seven plus hours of travel, overnights on planes trying to sleep sitting up and too many meals served on trays, exhausted me on my way here. Now that I've exhaled the airplane air and inhaled dirt, grime, heat and pure fascination I am ready to continue this third adventure in a country that feels just as much like home as my own bedroom in Minneapolis.
This morning was a visit to the school I'll be helping at for at least this first week of my stay. We met the principle, a very kind, gentle and excited man who was clearly thrilled we were there to help. We then went around to the classrooms (7 in all) and met the kids. They stared at us with large brown eyes and chimed "Good Morning Missus" in unison.
The afternoon was spent speckling ourselves with white and pink paint as we re-finished the children's dorms at SEAM Children's Home--a place for orphaned and poor children to live and go to school. The best part of the sweaty, messy afternoon was the look of appreciation on the faces of the girls who saw us finishing up their dorm room when they came home from school. Our day ended with games of cricket, table pool played with coins in a wooden board and lots of hugs and struggles over our attention from the kids.
I am happy to report that tonight's shower might have been the best shower ever taken by anyone, ever. However, despite my cleanliness, I am now sweaty all over again after washing my laundry in a bucket.
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