Learning in Pondicherry

Hello Everybody! I have exactly three more days in Pondicherry! We'll be spending two days in Chennai and then flying back to Kolkata before hopping on the overnight train to Varanasi on Sept 18th! Pondicherry has been a great place to unwind and I've been learning a lot as well. I've spent the past week organizing activities for children in a nearby village that this organization works with. There are usually about 15 children who come in the afternoons and they are not only incredibly cute, but are full of bright-eyed curiousity, full-blown enthusiasm, and unrelenting energy! Of course, I do have a few shy ones in my group, but it doesn't take long before they're laughing hysterically and joining in the fun. I've been teaching them songs, games (red light green light, hot potato, bubblegum bubblegum, man on mars, duck duck goose, etc), and reading them stories! It has been so much fun getting to play, dance, and sing with them. I definately realized how much I miss working with children...they really have such a light and sense of hope about them! On the last day, I brought poster paper and markers and had them each draw whatever they wanted. At the very end, we all got in a circle and each child stood up and shared with everyone what they had drawn. Many children drew their homes and its surroundings (flowers, birds, sun, clouds, flag, car) while a few children drew their school or some other kind of animal (i.e. elephant). They were amazing artists and I could tell they were really proud of what they had created.
Speaking of elephants, I saw my first elephant in India! There is this elephant that represents one of the Hindu gods (Ganesh) that mostly hangs out in the temple for this god, but can also be seen wandering the streets of Pondicherry! I got to touch its trunk and was amazed by its magnificence and beauty! I've also been learning a lot during my time here. I've had the opportunity to learn a lot about the rural development projects that the organization is involved with and a little bit about what kind of thinking must go into these projects and what kinds of considerations must be made. One day, I got to go on a tour with one of the architects for this project, Trupti. She introduced us to the concept of combining modern technology and ecologically friendly designs and materials with the limited resources and challenges that rural areas often present with. We got to see one of the beautiful vaulted buildings that she designed and built with the help of the villagers themselves. It was a truly beautiful design and it was amazing how waste and non-renuable resources were significantly minimized through simple innovative ideas and procedures. I also got to see a presentation on the language of Sanskrit which is considered by many to be a 'dead' language in India. This is tragic because it is said that the soul of India is contained within this language and the expression it allows. This organization, however, is incorporating the teaching of Sanskrit into its educational programs and children are now beginning to speak it once again! Really interesting and inspiring stuff! At this presentation, I got to meet Ron and Brenda who both work at the University of Oregon....small world right? Other than that, I've just been exploring Pondicherry on my bicycle and have even become used to "Indian traffic"! When I come back to Eugene, I think it will take me awhile to forget that I don't have to drive on the left hand side of the road and dodge endless motercycles, cars, buses, bikes, people, auto rickshaws, cows, etc!!!! I've also been trying South Indian food which is delicious but spicy! Alright, I'm off to do some more exploring.....!!!