First Impressions

Well, well, dear readers, hello!

The past two days have been intense. Taking in all the sounds, all the sights, trying desperately to learn any Hindi whatsoever, remembering everyone’s name, planning meals and mentally preparing myself for the task ahead have all been tiring. Delhi traffic is the most dangerous I’ve ever seen and the loudest I’ve ever heard. The concept of lanes, for example, does not really exist. I am getting used to the driving, though, and the constant horn-honking apparently becomes like music after a while (or, at the very least, it will feel strange when I return to England where the roads are quieter).

I have also experienced culture shock for the first time I can truly remember, for even though I have been moving cultures a lot, I am now in a completely different culture from anything I know, I do not speak the language, and I am doing something I have never done before.

Concerning what I am going to be doing – I have just been told that the only thing scheduled for me to do is to teach English to 60 beginners (divided into 4 groups) 5 days a week, which will take up most of my time, and anything else will have to be off of my own back (i.e. I’ll have to think of it). This is not the impression I got, but life does go on! I am terrified and euphoric, because while I am completely unprepared for this, it will be a test of my (and my roommate, Graham’s) creativity, work ethic and endurance, and we both want to do well. Graham – who, by the way, is a very nice Irishman – has done a short teacher-training course, which should be helpful.

A few quotations before I leave. Today we went to one of the health clinics, and there we had a chat with the women from the local slum, with Dr Kiran (Asha founder) translating. They described how local politicians care nothing about them, and that a term in office is viewed as a race to grab the most amount of money possible:
“The very air you breathe is corrupt”
Furthermore, when Asha started redoing one of the houses, they were told that they were not allowed, for it was a government building. The women then rallied together and kicked out the official, saying:
“You do nothing for us and yet when someone else tries to help us you make it difficult for them!”

No matter how much we teach, I am sure we will learn a lot here!