Sunday = FUNday

Wow, yesterday was a long and crazy day and there is lots to report so I'm just gonna get right down to it. We started the day bright and early--we left campus at 6am. Sunday was a big day because the first session of volunteers were here. This first session is an all medical session so things are a little different than normal. We had four vans and a car in use to get everyone picked-up and either taken to church or back to RSO. So, the five coordinators (Kim 1, Kim 2, Derek, CJ, and myself) were up and out the door at 6. Vel was our driver and Shaun Kar and Vikram were in the van with us. On the way to Chennai (which is about 2 hours away) we had Vel stop so we could get jasmine flowers for all the girls to welcome them. Vel and Shankar went to get the flowers and while they were buying them they got another surprise--balloons! They had decided it would be a good idea to blow up balloons and hang them from the ceiling of the van. All of the drivers at RSO are so great and nice and absolutely LOVE the volunteers. So, the rest of the way to Chennai was spent blowing up balloons, tying them together, and taping them to the ceiling of the car...all while Vel was still driving. It was seriously great to have such a fun time with the drivers tossing balloons around the car and hanging them up--I just love them all.

Shankar: master balloon tyer

Vel--you know he's a skilled driver when he can talk on the phone AND look back for a picture all while driving.

CJ, Kim 1, Vikram, Shankar, Derek and myself in the decked out bus.

We were just finishing hanging all the balloons when we finally reached the Marriott. We were all so excited to meet all the volunteers and show them just how amazing RSO is. We picked up the volunteers, loaded up the luggage, and went on our way to church. The branch we go to in Chennai (there are three branches total in the city) has some really amazing people that I am excited to get to know while I am here for the next year. There was a baptism that day so we were all able to see one of the young members get baptized. It was a great experience especially because Vikram had gone to church with us that day and was able to see someone get baptized. Vikram has been reading the Book of Mormon and is interested in the church. He told me at the end of all three meetings that his first day at church was the best day. Vikram is one of my favorite people at RSO and it was awesome to see him loving church and wanting to come back.

Once the baptism was over we headed back to RSO campus. We did orientation for the volunteers, gave them a little tour of the hostel and campus, and had dinner on the roof with banana leaves. I had been missing this essential part of RSO so it felt so amazing to be doing it again. After dinner, we took the volunteers over to family time with the kids. it was amazing to see the volunteers connecting with the kids and having similar experiences to what I had last year. I know they will come to love the kids just as much as I do.

Well, that was basically the whole day. Still have tons of bug bites but I'm getting used to it. The kids are still wonderful and beautiful, and I'm very excited to really start working with the volunteers--it's going to be a great summer!

Vanakkam

THE CHILDREN ARE HERE!

I want to shout it to all the world, "THE CHILDREN ARE HERE!!" My absolute favorite part of RSO is the children. Their little spirits bring the whole campus to life. I was very nervous, though, that the kids would not remember me. So many volunteers come through every summer I was expecting a lot of the kids to have completely forgotten who I was. It didn't help matter any that if they did remember me, it would be the me with long, blonde hair...not the me with super short brown hair. One of the other coordinators, Kim, told me something, though, that made me stop worrying. She told me that even if they don't remember me from before, I'm here for them know and they will just meet me and love me all over again.

With this sage wisdom, I approached Saturday with a bright and excited outlook. I was busy all morning helping Derek and Kim get stuff ready for the volunteers to come on Sunday, so I didn't make it over to the hostel to around 2:00pm. I went into the girls hostel looking for someone who may remember me....I recognized and remembered a few of the girls but they did not remember me. I started getting a little discouraged until I looked down and a small face was smiling up at me. I didn't recognize who it was in the first instant, but she definitely did. Her eyes lit up when I looked at her and she said, "You are back! I have missed you!" and hugged me as tight as can be around my waist. It was beautiful little Priya, but she was not as little anymore (see video on "Commence India Countdown post). She had grown quite a bit taller and her hair had grown as well, which is why it took me a second to realize it was her. Once I placed her, though, my heart soared. She had remembered me!! Priya is a child that connects and interacts with all the volunteers, she loves them all, so for her to remember me was something I was not expected. After we hugged and I told her I had missed her as well she asked why I had cut my hair and recalled the crazy trip to the hospital we took last year (if there was a lingering doubt she confused me with someone else it was definitely gone now). Even though I had prepared myself to not get down if the kids forgot me, it made me feel SO HAPPY that I had been remembered by someone. As the day wore on and I saw more and more kids, I was surprised by how many could place my face. They could not remember my name, but the recognition and memories from last summer were there.

Being at playtime with the kids was, just like last year, the highlight of my day. All of the children are so loving and kind, and being able to play and interact with them everyday makes me happier than just about anything else. They make RSO the incredible organization it is. I can't wait to continue reconnecting with the kids I knew from last year as well as meeting all the others (it is my goal to memorize all the children's names by the end of summer). I love these kids so much and it is a dream come true to be able to be with them again.

Vanakkam

More to come soon on the volunteers arrival and the start of the medical session!

Also! Friends and Family: if you sponsor a child and would like an informal, quick video of said child, let me know and I will make one with them during playtime or something :)

How about a little boating?

Today was a really great day. Robinson, the Indian director of RSO (literally he is in charge of all native employees), planned a big outing today for all the staff of RSO. Teacher training has finished and things have been starting to fall into place with the school and hostels, so this day off was much needed and was a sort of celebration for all the hard work we have been putting in. We left campus at 8:00am and drove to Kovalam, a beach city about two hours east of us. I didn't know what to expect from boating in India--a big yacht? a canoe? a rowboat? Who knows! What it ended up being was little motorboats (each seated between 8 and 10) that we rode around a big lake. It took about 5 boats to fit all the RSO staff and current volunteers. I was in a boat with the other coordinators, Jim and Pam Gates (the managing directors) and Vikram (the go-to-guy in the office who does everything from passport information to buying fruit). It was EXTREMELY hot outside but it was so fun seeing all the staff relaxed and having so much fun together.

Lovely teachers boarding the boats

SO EXCITED!!!

WE SAW WATER BUFFALOS!!!

 Please let me know ASAP if this video actually plays as porn...this happened to me last year.

The lake smelled horrible but it was completely worth it. :)

After the lovely boat ride, we stopped at...wait for it.....a crocodile zoo!!!!! It actually wasn't technically called "crocodile zoo" but that's basically what it was. There were TONS of crocodiles separated by species into various habitats. It was so crazy because some of them were HUGE!! It was just another great part of the outing day with the staff. 

 Did you know crocodiles could jump?? This was new to me....thankfully they have this beautifully illustrated sign.

A very small portion of all the crocs.

Yet another very informative and well illustrated sign.

I was scared...can you see the croc in the background? 

These four ALWAYS brighten my day: Thani ka, TJ, Vel, and Shaun Kar

After the crocodile zoo, we went to the beach city Mammalapurum. I went to this city last year and saw all the ruins and sites then so this was a very chill visit. We had lunch with the Gates and Robinson's family and then just took time to wander the streets and window shop. All of the teachers and staff during this time went to the beach and swam in the ocean. One of the many things I love about Indian people is that they swim in whatever clothes they are wearing that day. All the teachers got in the ocean in their saris and had an amazing time playing in the waves, chatting with each other, and just generally having a great day off.

Our outing finally came to an end and we all came home exhausted. One thing that has been so great about teacher training and going to this outing is that I know a lot of the teachers and staff now and I feel very comfortable with them. I don't know what it is about Rising Star, but every person that they hire is wonderful!! All the drivers, teachers, groundstaff, office staff, EVERYONE, is just plain great. I am so blessed and grateful to be working with such amazing people for the next year of my life. It's going to be a good year. :)

Vanakkam

p.s. I am really behind on blogging--the kids have already come, as well as, the first set of volunteers.....I will try to catch up asap, cause it's only gonna get busier.

The Calm Before the Storm

Life at RSO is already busy, busy, busy and the summer volunteers haven't even arrived yet! Sunday, my first full day on campus, was spent unpacking, organizing my room, and generally settling in. I met three of the other summer coordinators, Derek, Kim, and Kim. As well as a long-term volunteer that has been here since the beginning of April (who is oddly enough named April). By late Sunday afternoon, I was already working. 

The other coordinators have been hard at work getting the volunteer hostel ready for everyone to start coming, meeting all of the various contacts they will be using throughout the summer, preparing transportation for the coming volunteers....and the list goes on and on. Normally, I would be working with them more closely in the tasks they have been assigned since I am also a summer coordinator, but instead I have been working with April in the school. Celina, the director of education for RSO, was supposed to arrive in India before me...I have been in India for four days and it's looking like she won't be here anytime soon.  Because Celina is not here, April has stepped in as the temporary director of education and I have become her assistant/right arm. We both have been planning and teaching the teacher training course as well as, getting the teachers their class schedules, getting class rosters, preparing for registration, figuring out where the textbooks are, and a zillion other things that Celina was originally going to do that have now fallen to April and myself. I LOVE that I have been able to start working with the teachers and doing teacher training right off the bat. Teacher training was one of the main things I wanted to do when I came to RSO and, lo and behold, it's the first thing I get to do.

Now, let me explain why RSO needs teacher training. In India, all classes are taught through rote memorization ( a teacher standing at the front of the classroom reading from the book with the students following along and repeating after they read). As is plain to Americans and a lot of western society, this is not the most effective teaching method. Through this teacher training program, we are trying to help the teachers learn new, creative ways to approach their classes this year. All of the teachers are wonderful and very open to the new methods....we just hope that they take the methods we are teaching them and actually use them in the classroom. Doing teacher training now has also been great because I am building relationships with the RSO teachers right from the start. They all know who I am now so when I am working in the school with the other volunteers or when I switch to being a teacher coordinator after the summer, they will know who I am and will be more open to me working in their classes and with their students. This whole week doing all of Celina's leg work has been a great way for me to get to know the school and how it is run.

Kala, Fathima, Leema Rose, and Rajalakshmi--some of RSO's amazing teachers

Kumar, Uvaraj, Kala, Leema Rose, Rajalakshmi, and Fathima discovering what learning style they are

Leema Rose, Rajalakshmi Uvaraj, Kumar, Dhamaseskaran, and Karthiravan enjoying the intro to Gardner's multiple intelligences

Anjeli, Ragakumari, and Shama - they're just great :)

Well, other than teacher training and work there is not much else to report. Rising Star is as peaceful and special as ever. The frogs are out and hoppin, I have a zillion bug bites, the power goes out often, the bucket showers are amazing (and that isn't sarcasm I seriously love them), they killed a snake in the bushes today and showed us it's dead body, I don't stop sweating till I am in my room for the night...I love it. It's exactly where I want to be. :)

 First Volunteers arrive in 4 days

RSO Kids arrive in 3 days

As crazy as we are right now....this is definitely the calm before the storm.

Vanakkam

Let the Journey Begin

Well, everyone....I've made it. I am officially blogging from Rising Star Outreach in India. My year-long adventure has finally started!!! I have unpacked, showered (thankfully), and am settling in to what will be my life for the next 12 months. 

Every great journey or adventure starts with travel. I can't help but feel like I'm in an Indiana Jones movie when I'm taking all these different flights--jumping from one place to the next (you know in the movies when he flies and it shows the red line with the plane going from each place he has stopped?). Thankfully, I was able to get from Las Vegas to Chennai with very little problems. The journey started in Vegas where there was a little trouble getting on a flight from Vegas to Chicago. You see, unlike last year, I traveled stand-by this year through my Uncle Gary. It was his graduation present to me and I couldn't be more grateful. The thing with stand-by, though, is that it deals with the extremes--you can either get on the flight first-class or not make it at all. We knew from the get-go that getting from Vegas to Chicago would be the hardest part of the trip. I tried and failed to get on the 5:30pm flight on Thursday but thankfully was able to get on the red-eye to Chicago that night (and I only got on that flight cause Gary was with me and was able to work some serious magic and save me a seat). I arrived in Chicago at 5:45am and had a whooping 10.5 hours to kill before my next flight to Delhi. I had toyed with the idea of the leaving the airport for a bit and either wandering the city or getting a hotel room to sleep for awhile (red-eyes are a killer). After talking to a gate agent and hearing that security at O'Hare takes 2 HOURS to get through...I quickly nixed that plans. I hate going through security with a passion so the thought of waiting 2 hours for it was an automatic answer to my question. On a side note: the power went out as I was typing just now...gotta love India :). 

Anyways, since I decided not to leave I spent the 10.5 hours wandering the terminal, finding a bench to sleep on, sleeping on said bench, playing on the computer, eating, and just about anything else I could think of to occupy my time at O'Hare. When the time came, though, for my flight to Delhi...the tension came like a ton of bricks. It's a 15 hours flight from Chicago to Delhi and I was REALLY REALLY hoping to get either first or business class through stand-by. The chances looked ok but you never really know until you get that golden ticket. So I sat anxiously staring at the gate attendants--willing them to call my name and re-book me. Finally...they called me up to be re-booked....and guess who was sitting in seat 3J in first class, yep, yours truly. Best. Flight. Ever. I had my own little cubicle complete with a swiveling chair that reclined into a bed. I spent 15 hours being waited on, eating gourmet food (dinner had 4 courses and was served on glass plates with multiple forks and knives), watching movies, lounging in my chair, and sleeping. 15 hours have never gone by so fast. As I was leaving I tried to take a few pics of my first class cubicle:

 View from the back--you can see the ottoman, chair, and desk that the video screen popped up from.

 Chair swiveled three directions: straight front, diagonal (to lay back in the bed) and sideways towards the window and this lovely desk.

 Yep, my cubicle even had a coat rack, as well as, comforter and pillow.

 Airplane chair from Heaven. Love. It.

Check out the leg room!!

As you can see, it was ridiculously legit. But sadly after 15 hours I had to get back to reality and catch one more flight from Delhi to Chennai. I got through customs, rechecked my bags, and got to my gate without a hitch...until I heard the flight was delayed. I should have figured as much, nothing in India runs on time, but still it surprised me and made me even more tired than I already was. I realized, though, that this delay could potentially mess-up my pick-up with the Rising Star driver in Chennai--would he wait for me? Would I be stranded at the airport? I had no idea. I spent the entire three hour flight to Chennai stressing over this and devising a plan if the driver indeed was not there. We landed an hour and 40 minutes after our scheduled time. After getting all my luggage I quickly went outside to see if I had a means of getting to Rising Star. My flight was the only one that got in at that time and I was the only non-Indian on the flight, so I stuck out like a sore-thumb which made me even MORE nervous and anxious. I got outside the door: no driver. A little bit more panicky. I walked along outside looking but still no sign (don't worry Mom I didn't leave the airport). Finally I asked a policeman stationed outside if there was another place where drivers may be. The policeman didn't speak English, but, thankfully, an Indian man leaving the airport did. He asked me if I was looking for a driver and after I told him I was, he walked me to where the drivers waited for passengers (it was at the exit which is why I didn't see them before cause I knew better than to leave the airport by myself at 1:30am). Sure enough, the Rising Star driver (Sankel) was waiting there with my name on a sign. 

We loaded everything into the Rising Star van and as soon as I sat down I felt instant relief. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders that I had been carrying since I left Las Vegas--I was completely safe. I didn't have to be on guard, keeping all my belongings within eye-shot. This feeling of safety brought me back to a quote, "Someone once said that this is the place where everything's better and everything's safe". If you recognize this quote, you are a One Tree Hill fan like myself. Yep, I'm talking about One Tree Hill from the CW. Janelle and I spent the last month before I left cramming in seasons 7 and 8 so I could be up to date when I left, so the series is still very prevalent in my mind. That mind kept playing through my head as I drove the hour and a half from the airport to Rising Star's campus. To me, Rising Star fits that quote perfectly--it's the place that is better and safer than anywhere else in India. Pulling into the campus, I couldn't help feel like I was coming home. After 2 days of wandering airports and catching flights I had finally made it home. Granted, it's not as good as my real home in Vegas with my family...but this will definitely do for the next year. :)

Vanakkam

Five Days

Five Days...

And I will get to see all of these beautiful faces in person

I can't wait :)

Vanakkam