The Goodbye

I've been putting off this post for awhile...

I've been home for almost two months now and am still adjusting to being away from the kids and all those who became my family while I was in India. I can honestly say that not a day goes by that I don't think about and miss India. Not just Rising Star, but India itself. The shockingly green rice fields, the most delicious mangos you will ever eat, the colors, the noise, the culture, the people....in my 11 months there I came to love every facet of that country. This quote is cited often by Rising Star volunteers because it perfectly sums how most of us feel about India:

   “There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won’t go. For me, India is such a place. When I first visited, I was stunned by the richness of the land, by its lush beautiful and exotic architecture, by its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colors, smells, tastes, and sounds…I had been seeing the world in black and white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant Technicolor.” 

               – Keith Bellows (National Geographic)

As much as I love India by itself, my love for the kids and people at Rising Star exceeds this by about 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000....whatever that number is. From walking around campus meeting kids at every turn, to sitting outside on a bright afternoon to watch the boys play cricket. From late night dance parties to those quiet bedtime conversations and story times that I will forever miss and cherish. It's all those little moments and so many more that added together to create an extraordinary 11 months. To enumerate all that I learned and gained from this time is impossible--one, because it's hard to put into words unless you have been to Rising Star and experienced it for yourself and two, I haven't even discovered all that I took away from those 11 months. It seems that every week I find something new about my perspective and myself that I gained as a result of my time in India. It's a never-ending list that I am sure I will continue adding to for many years to come.

The one thing that I can most easily identify as having taken away from India is an unending love for what I now like to call, my Indian family. The kids and staff have solidified their places in my heart and will never leave. Sadly, there are some that I most likely will never see again in this life. Even those that I do see when I go back to visit, I know that I will never be able to re-create my time in India--new children come, kids graduate, people change jobs....it will never be the same as when I left. But thankfully, I will always have the memories and that place in my heart. I will always have their voices and smiling faces to think back on and remind me of one of the most significant, and special times in my life.

Vanakkam

Family History

About three weeks before my leave date, the other volunteer that was at Rising Star teaching English had to unexpectedly go home due to a family emergency. With her absence, I took over 7th and 8th Standard (who I had taught before she came) as well as 9th Standard. With the addition of these three classes, I was teaching every class period...I was one busy lady. Because of my busy-ness I wanted to have 7th, 8th, and 9th Standard do some sort of project, if anything it would be fun AND it would lessen my planning load. What I decided to have them do was a family history project. They were assigned to write four different sections:

Section 1: Family History: Where their parents were born, where their parents come from, where they were born, where lived as children, etc.
Section 2: Funny Memories/Stories: Specific instances and memories from childhood that the kids remembered. If they had a hard time with memories from childhood, they could do recent funny memories.
Section 3: Family Now: Where they are currently living, who they live with, how many people are in their family, what standard they are in, etc.
Section 4: Future Family: Any hopes and dreams that they want for their future selves. Where they want to live, if they want to get married, what job they want to have, the kind of person they want to be, etc.

Unlike I originally thought, it did not lessen my work load at all....but the project could not have been more worth it. The kids did an incredible job writing about their families and their lives. Every student wrote at least 5 - 6 pages for their project and they had to go through the entire writing process with a rough draft, editing, and a final draft. They all worked hard and I was so impressed.

For their final draft, I decided to do something special for the kids. I found different bordered paper online and let the kids choose which border they wanted to write their final draft on. Then, on Parents Day, I went around and took pictures of all the kids with their parents and families (if their family wasn't there then they brought in a picture). I then used the pictures and made cover pages (actually HUGE shout-out to Derek for making the cover pages--couldn't have done this project without him) with whatever border the student had chosen as well as their family picture. We got the front pages printed in color and then had the cover page and their final draft bound into a book for the students to keep. The kids were so excited to see their finished products. One boy even had me put about 20 blank pages in his book so he could add to it like a journal. They turned out beautifully and the kids did an amazing job.

 I asked Megala (who you can read about in my latest 'Ode' post) to use her book as the model. Because it's India and we are in the middle of nowhere, resources are a little limited so I got the books bound in the only way possible--and in my opinion they still turned out really good!

Inside the book: the front cover with picture. 

After the front cover, their family histories began. Megala has perfect cursive, FYI.

Karpagavalli also modeling her book. She went with the rose border (a popular one amongst the kids).

Even with the binding and the cover pages for the books turning out awesome, the best thing about this project was what the kids wrote. Some of their funny stories had me laughing out loud, and their descriptions of their families were priceless. My favorite section in all the kids' books, though, was the future family. These kids have the highest hopes and dreams and want to do amazing things with their lives--things that I think a lot of them will accomplish. Here are just a few excerpts (naturally I made copies of all the kids' final drafts):

" [In my future] I will have a dance company. In my job I will get 1,00,000 Rupees. Then I will help the poor people.... Then I will go to other places and I will teach dance." - Ashok, 7th Std.

"I don't know what will happen in my future. But I hope God will help me to achieve my goal and wish...As my goal, I want to be an Astronaut. I know that it is very hard but I can achieve it." - Manodhaya, 9th Std.

"In my future I want to be Draft Engineer and I want to get temple marriage....I want to seal me family in the temple. Then we will stay for ever together on earth and in Heaven." - Deepanraj, 8th Std. (Deepan's older brother is a member of the LDS church. Deepan goes to church every Sunday and he plans to get baptized after he finishes 10th Standard).

"Me and my husband will go to job together and help the poor people like who don't have money and food. I will be a good example to others. I will also help a hungry beggar... After we [herself and the other LifeDance members] leave Rising Star we can dance together and teach ourselves many things. We also teach the other children who want to dance like us. We help them with the many things that we have." - Shalini, 7th Std.

"In my future I will be dancer, singer and software engineer. I also have other aim, to help leprosy people...I would help and give job in my home to poor people. In my future I don't want to see any beggar and leprosy people. I will adopt children who don't have mom or dad. I will ask help from some of my friends that are doctors like Dr. Soniya, Dr. Krishnamoorthy, Dr. Sangeetha, Dr. Theresa, Dr. Ambiga [all other Rising Star students]." - Joseph, 8th Std.

"In the future I will be President for RSO. In the future I will come to RSO lots of time. I will help the kids. In my future I will help the poor people to build the houses, food, shelter and give some money to them." - Vijayalakshmi (Buji), 7th Std.

"I want to become a doctor because I want to help others. My grandpa is having leprosy. So when I was little I always thinking about my grandpa's leg. Then I think, I want to become a doctor." - Sangeetha, 8th Std.

"In my future I want to achieve my goal. My aim is to be teacher but my parents aim is to be police. I want to be a teacher and also a police. I want to be a good daughter to my parents...I have to be a good example to my brother. I will teach him the good things whatever I learned." - Karpagavalli, 9th Std.

"In future, I want to be a good doctor and also a good person. I want to sponsor children and to help others who are very poor and needy...I want my parents to be well in their health and in all their needs. I want their needs to be fulfilled in their old age and also now...[In my future] I will be thankful for my family and to God. Specially to God for all the things which he's done for me and which is going to do for me." - Megala, 9th Std.

These kids truly are amazing. Not only do they have the highest of aspirations and dreams, but so many of them (at least 85%) wrote about wanting to use their money to help people and help others. It is astounding to think that these kids are considered the lowest of low in their society because in my mind they have set the example and should be what other children are aspiring to be like.

Vanakkam

Ode To The Children: Take 4

Here is another "Ode" highlighting a few more of the Rising Star girls:

Megala

Megala is such a special, unique girl. She is in 9th Standard and has been with Rising Star since she was in 5th Standard. She is a member of LifeDance and is the Vice-President of the Youth Hostel Council (a student council for the kids in the hostel). Besides having a talent for leadership, one of Megala's more hidden talents is writing poetry. She has read me quite a few of her poems and they are incredibly beautiful. Megala is known as one of the go-to girls on campus if you need something done or need help with something. She is incredibly mature and takes any task she is given very seriously and always does it to the best of her ability. She can usually be found studying somewhere at the school or in the hostel--I swear this girl is going to get perfect scores on her exams next year cause she studies so much.

Even though she seems very serious when you first meet her, Megala actually has a really funny and outgoing side. She loves to just sit and chat and tell stories and talk about anything and everything. She has a great sense of humor and finds comedy in awkward situations. One night at the hostel, the girls and I were all sharing our most embarrassing moments and funny stories. Megala's were definitely some of the funniest sheerly because of the crazy, awkward situations she seems to often find herself in. Megala is a rock--a source of support when you need help, a source of comfort when you're feeling down. Anything you need help with, she will be there to do whatever you need. She is an amazing girl and a great example to me and the other children at Rising Star.

Suddha

There is so much to say about Suddha (or Suddha Buddha as I came to call her and subsequently everyone else did too). Suddha is in UKG and is in her second year at Rising Star. When I first got to Rising Star, a white spot was found on Suddha's leg--the early signs of leprosy. After having it checked out, it was confirmed that she had leprosy and would have to start the antibiotics necessary to stop the disease. It is in instances like Suddha's that I am especially grateful for the work that Rising Star does. If she was not a member of the school, her white spot most likely would not have been found and her leprosy would have advanced to the point where a lot of Rising Star's patients in the colonies are now. I cannot imagine Suddha with leprosy. She is fiesty and strong and full of life. She has decided, solid opinions (especially for a 6 year old) and loves telling you exactly what she wants and what she is thinking. Besides this, though, she is incredibly sweet. She loves to run up to you and give big giant hugs. She loves to be carried around on my hip and just chat away in her developing English. She is a beautiful, amazing little girl who's life could have been drastically different if it wasn't for Rising Star.

Rosemary

Rosemary the Macarena Queen...this girl is a hoot. A couple summers ago Kim (another AMAZING volunteer that I worked with when I first arrived at Rising Star) taught all the girls the Macarena. The other kids remember the dance and had a great time learning it but it's Rosemary who will break out in the Macarena at the slightest of prompts. She stands up with her ear-to-ear grin and starts singing the song and dancing away. And it's not just the Macarena that she loves dancing. This little girl LOVES to dance and move. She is always one of the first girls to get up and start moving during a dance party and you loves to get everyone up and dancing with her. Her huge smile radiates happiness and exuberance when she's out on the floor.

One great memory from Rising Star is singing songs to Rosemary and Suddha as they would fall asleep at night. Rosemary and Suddha are the best of friends, yet at the same time these two sure can fight. They sleep right next to each other and after about 10 minutes of arguing and kicking they would finally settle down and I would sing them a few songs as they fell asleep. Their favorite was "Baby Song" (Justin Bieber is totally universal) but once I finished that they were happy to hear anything. A lot of times Rosemary would scooch up from her spot on the floor and lay her head in my lap, while Suddha would stay in her spot but reach up to hold my hand. These two sweet little girls hold a very special place in my heart.

Vinodhini

When talking about Vinodhini, one of the first things that people usually comment on is how gorgeous she is...and they definitely aren't wrong. Vinodhini is absolutely stunning. What a lot of people don't get to see, though, is how beautiful see is both inside and out. When you first meet her, Vinodhini is usually very reserved. Once you get to know her, though, she is a funny, out-going, amazing girl with so much to offer. One of the many things I love about Vinodhini is her sense of humor. She loves to joke and laughs easily. I love watching movies with Vinodhini because she (and usually Ashok) always laugh and understand all the humor in whatever we are watching. Vinodhini is currently the Vice-President of LifeDance and man, is she an awesome dancer! She always give it her all when she dances and she has an amazing beauty and presence on stage.

The quality that I admire and love most about Vinodhini is that she is a great friend. When one of her friends is sad and down or just having a bad day, she is always there for them asking them what they need and how she can help. She's always there to brighten the mood and help them to see the bright side if things. Her love and support of her friends is just a facet of her admirable character. Vinodhini is a beautiful, amazing young woman that I am lucky to have met and gotten to know in my time at Rising Star.

Angel

There was never a more appropriate name for a child than Angel. Her spirit truly is like a little angel--sweet, kind, loving, obedient, respectful, and so many other things. I met Angel when I first came to Rising Star in 2010. Even then (I was only at Rising Star for three weeks) I couldn't help but marvel at her sweetness. When I came back a year later, she was just the same. Angel has a soft, raspy little voice that is never bossy, demanding or domineering. She seems to always be smiling and is happy doing just about anything. I was so excited when I found out that Angel would be in one of my English classes. She had just the same sweetness and respect in class. She worked hard, was always ready to help when needed, and loved to listen and learn whatever I was teaching that day.

Some of my favorite memories with Angel, though, are during family time. Family Time is from 7:30 - 9:00 every night and it's a time to help the kids do homework, sing them songs, read them stories, and generally just start helping them wind down for the night. Angel loved to have me help her study. She always wanted me to help quiz her for science tests and social studies. Angel also loved to just sit and talk. She loved to hear stories or hear things about America. She also loved to tell me things about her family and different Indian traditions. I will never forget her and Jeyanthi (her housemother) first explaining Pongal to me and how excited she was that I was interested in her culture and something so prevalent in her life. Angel is an amazing little spirit who's sweet little voice and presence I will miss roomba roomba much.

With Angel, Gracy Lydia, and Pavithra in their colony over Christmas Break.

Quick apology for being a bad blogger as of late--I'm still fighting quite the battle with jet-lag and time adjustment. But I will soon post about my last week in India and saying good-bye to all my Rising Stars.


Vanakkam

Talent Show

I am officially down to my last week at Rising Star. Never before have I been faced with such conflicting emotions. On one hand I am incredibly excited to go home to my family, eat American food (particularly Cafe Rio), see The Hunger Games, and start the next phase of my life. On the other hand....my heart aches. The last thing I want to do is leave these kids at Rising Star. They have become so much apart of my life that it's really hard to imagine not seeing them everyday and not being able to walk over to the hostel and play with them or just talk with them. The goodbyes are starting to come and I am dreading the final one...when I have to kiss them goodnight and I won't be there to greet them at school in the morning. But just because that fateful night is coming doesn't mean I can't live it up until it comes, right?! And the perfect way to do that is a talent show. :)

This last Saturday, myself and the other 4 long term volunteers organized a talent show for the kids--one last hurrah party before the hard part comes. We had kids doing everything from dramas (the kids term for a skit) to singing to spinning a ball on their finger to telling jokes to dancing. I finally broke out my tap shoes (the first rime this year...better late than never right?) and showed the kids some moves and Kelli, the current dance master, did a pointe solo while Derek sang and played the guitar. The kids absolutely loved showing off their talents and watching the talents of their fellow students.

For the last number of the show, we (the volunteers) wanted to do something special for the kids. What we decided to do was take little bits of all the LifeDance dances (dances the kids either dance in or have seen multiple times) learn them and perform them for the kids. Kelli spliced all the songs together and the two nights before the show we pulled together a decent medley of the kid's dances. As we suspected, the kids LOVED it. They were cheering and laughing and loving every bit of it. I have to say that one of my favorite moments since I've been here would be when I came out to dance the girl's solo part in "Somebody Out There" and the kids started cheering. It was completely spontaneous and out of the blue and it brought me such joy to know that the kids were excited to see me dance. It was an amazing moment of happiness and love that I will cherish for a long time.

Here are some of the highlights from the show:

With major help from Kelli, the LifeDance boys pulled together this great little number

Even though this is in Tamil, it was still hilarious to see Moorthy acting like a Grandma and dressed so silly.

A few different groups of 3rd - 6th standard girls got together to make up dances for the show. This was one of my personal favorites cause my little sponsor baby Sagayamary (in the front in the blue and white) did such an awesome job....oh what a stage mom I have become.

The volunteers also wanted to share a few of our talents. Kelli literally made this solo up on the spot and it turned out BEAUTIFUL! And Derek is givin Jason Mraz a run for his money for realz. Sweet Joseph also did an amazing job singing--his face when he starts singing just kills me.

This video is a medley of a bunch of different talents: it has one of the 10th Std. boys singing, it has some ball spinning, it has Deepan and Ashok showing off their MJ moves...oh yeah, and it has me tapping...but you should probably stop it before it gets to that part. :)

And, of course, the ever wonderful volunteer LifeDance dance!

After the show, in true Rising Star fashion, an awesome dance party broke out and everyone was just lovin life and having a great time. The kids danced, the volunteers danced, the housemothers danced--it was one of those moments when the magic of Rising Star really shines. At one point Deepan brought the mic over and wanted me to sing the only Tamil song I know (and I only know it because it's mainly in English). The kids really like it when I sing this song and I am SO GLAD Derek caught this on video.

Overall it was truly one of those amazing days that only Rising Star can give. 

Vanakkam

Ode to the Children: Take 3

Yet another 'Ode' expressing my love for the kiddos...

Vimalkanth

Vimalkanth (or V as he is also called) is my monkey baby. I first met V my first summer at Rising Star in 2010. He caught my eye immediately because of his hilarious impressions of Tamil actors. When I came back this year, it was definitely his crazy salsa dance moves that made me notice him again. He gives Ricky Martin a run for his money with his awesome hip shaking. Not only is he an amazingly talented dancer but he is also learning to play the piano--and he has gotten really good! His "aim" (goal) in life is to be a music director so he is learning piano to help reach his goal. Between his piano skills, his dance moves, his mage-watt smile, and his knack for acting, I think V is destined to become a Tamil Movie Star.

Besides all of V's talents, he is also one of the sweetest, most respectful boys you will ever meet. If ever he sees me carrying a big load of books to class he always runs right up and helps me to carry them wherever I am going. He is so kind and considerate and behind all the cool guy talent he is really just a softy. Because I am his "monkey mom" a lot of the time he'll walk up to me and just lean against me in a big hug. He also loves to put his head in my lap and fall asleep during movie nights--he has a hard time staying awake. V is such a special, unique and outstanding boy that I am always trying to treasure every moment I have with my "monkey baby".

P. Karthik

Whenever I walk into 2nd Standard to teach, I can't help but smile when I see this cute little face. P. Karthik is the youngest of what I refer to as "The Brothers Ashok". Ashok is the oldest (who you can read about at the end of this post) followed by P. Vijay, Moorthy, and, finally, Karthik. I love all of these brothers very much--they are the craziest, most stream-of conscience, rough and tumble boys around. They bring light and life everywhere they go. 

This may sound weird, but go with me here for a second. To me, Karthik is the embodiment of childhood. He finds joy in simple games and paper hats, he laughs at the silliest most inconsequential things, he loves to run around, be free and play--all the things that make childhood great. Even though Karthik doesn't live in the hostel, he's still on campus most of the time because both his mom and his dad work on campus. One of my favorite memories since I have been here is hanging out with Karthik over the October break and Christmas holiday. He played games at the school while his parents worked, he showed us around the village with his brothers, he took us to his house where we surprised his brothers--it was all tons of fun. Besides all these memories, though, the thing I will miss most about Karthik is holding his little hand and either walking through the village or just walking down the hall at school. He is so sweet and precious and I will greatly miss the youngest member of The Brothers Ashok.

M. Vignesh

This kid....I love this hip-shakin hooligan. M. Vignesh is another of my 6th standard students that I have come to absolutely adore. He is such a jokester and he loves to just play and have fun all the time. So much so that he has a lot of trouble getting homework done :). M. Vignesh is a total creative-minded, free spirit. He loves to sing and act and write stories and ESPECIALLY dance. M. Vignesh is an AMAZING dancer. I seriously think that if he had training he could be in a hip hop crew--this kid has got natural rhythm and soul. He is one of my favorite kids to watch freestyle on LifeDance because when he is in the zone...there's no stoppin this kid. He really feels the music and dances with his whole heart.

Besides being an awesome dancer he is also a sweetheart. About halfway through this last year, his mom came for parents day. He saw me walking down the path and ran up to me and said, "Kenady Ma'am! My mom is here! Come meet my mom!!" He was incredibly excited for his mom to be there and for me to meet her--it was so sweet and tender. Much like Vimal, Vignesh loves to come up to me in the hallways at school and just give me a hug or a high five or just call out my name. I will also randomly see him poking his head into one of my classes just to see what's going on. I definitely gonna miss those random check-ins when I'm back in America.

Nandhakumar

The Nandha that I know now is NOT the Nandha that I met when I first came to Rising Star. When I first got here, Nandha was kind of a troublemaker. He had a reputation for talking out in class and beating kids and just generally being a little crazy and hard to handle. When I took over teaching 6th Standard I remember distinctly thinking, "Uh oh...Nandha's in that class...this may be hard." The first few days in class he definitely tested me to see what he could get away with, but having taught Nandha for a year now and really getting to know him, the Nandha that I first perceived is NOT the Nandha I know now. Nandha is kind, considerate, caring, a hard worker, and tons of other exemplary qualities. He is always looking out for the little UKG and first standard boys and helping them out when needed and he is a great help in class too! Contrary to my initial perception, Nandha is actually really laid-back and chill. He goes with the flow and is happy with whatever he's given. Don't get me wrong, though, he definitely has spunk and sass but it is only a small facet of the amazing Nandhakumar.

Nandhakumar is the Rising Star that I am most proud of this year. He started the year off in my English class barely able to read and sound out words. Now he is reading slowly but fluently and is doing just as well as a lot of his peers (which is sayin something when you struggle with reading). He works and tries so hard and really wants to get better in English and do well in school. He is a total rough-and-tumble boy so you wouldn't expect this out of him when you first meet him, but he really is an amazing student. He even has all of his homework separated into plastic page covers (one for each subject) so none of it gets ripped or ruined. He has grown leaps and bounds this year and I am incredibly proud of him.

Ashok

I don't even know where to begin writing about Ashok. This boy is so near and dear to my heart and there is so much to say that it's hard to even put into words. I know in years to come that whenever I think back on my time at Rising Star, his face, smile, laugh, and voice will be some of the first things I think of. Ashok is a unique and special soul--one that reels you in and just makes you want to be around him all the time. Ashok is definitely one of the leaders on campus. His energy and presence are felt everywhere he goes. He has a HUGE personality that is unlike any other kid I have ever met. He loves to joke around and act and play. If you have read any of my other blog posts you have most likely read about Ashok a few times (some of his highlights can be found here and here). He does whatever come to his head and just goes with it. One of the many things I love about Ashok is how invested he gets in movies and stories. If there is a movie on, he sits right at the front and pays attention to every little thing going on. This makes watching English movies with him really fun because, unlike a lot of the kids, he understands the cultural humor. He laughs in all the right spots and cheers when the good guy wins--it's awesome.

A huge part of Ashok's life is dance. He eats, drinks, and sleeps dance. His dance idol is Michael Jackson and, at this point, he's about five moonwalks away from being the next Michael. Ashok has watched all of his videos multiple times and him and Deepan have even started choreographing their own takes on MJ's videos and moves. Besides being the next MJ, Ashok is the current President of LifeDance. This means that he brings his MJ moves and awesome style to all the LifeDance dances. He is so great to watch on stage--he dances hard and strong and MJ would definitely be proud.

Just being around Ashok is a fun time. Some of my best memories at Rising Star involve listening to his crazy stories and just chatting with him and the other boys in his house. He always has something fun and interesting to add to the conversation and, if anything, spices everything up. Conversations with Ashok are just one of the many things I'm going to miss about him. He is an amazing kid and I am so excited to see all the amazing things he does with his life--he is destined for greatness.

Vanakkam

Kids Say the Darndest Things

One of the millions of things I have come to love about India is the broken English. I love the phrases that the kids and staff come up with to describe things or tell you something. I absolutely love when the kids are trying desperately to convey something and they can't quite come up with the right English words. They stammer and scrunch up their faces while they desperately try to accurately tell their story. Here are a few of the phrases and words that I am going to really miss when I leave

"Paining!" - Whenever a child is hurt or not feeling well, the universal Tamil word is "paining." "My head is paining" "My knee is paining". This one is so catchy that myself as well as a lot of the other long-term volunteers end up using it.

"Very, very taste!" - I wish I could adequately describe the voice and face that accompany this phrase but that just isn't possible. When the boys want to really convince you that something tastes good, this is the phrase they use. I have to say...it convinces me just about every time and I usually end up trying whatever concoction they are offering.

"I have one idea" - If the kids are ever in a creative mood or making up a game, this is a phrase that is usually used. And, yes, every time the phrase is "I have ONE idea"....not just "I have AN idea."

"I have doubt"/"Doubt Ma'am!" - If I had a dollar for every time I heard this phrase I would have a whole heap of money right now. Whenever a kid is confused or needs something explained or even has a simple question, the go to phrase is "I have doubt, Ma'am." Even though I hear it constantly, I will really miss this quirky little call for help.

"Tablet" - any medicine, pill, or remedy of any kind is a tablet...always.

"Why you not come?!" - If you ever miss a scheduled "lunch date" (sitting with them at lunch" with one of the kids or you don't make it over to one of the kids' houses at night, this is the phrase you will undoubtedly her the next day. Sagayamary's voice automatically comes to mind when I think of this one...gotta love the sponsor baby. :)

"Where you went?" - Whenever you miss a day of school or take a Saturday and go somewhere off campus, this is the phrase you will hear upon your arrival back to the kiddos. They basically just love to know every little thing you do when you're not with them, so this one is used pretty often.

"Cheating" - This is the universal Tamil-English translation word for lying, being dishonest in any way, stealing, etc. Basically anytime you do something wrong..."You are cheating!"

"In that time" - This one is used a lot when the kids are telling stories. In the story they will say, "In that time I was very small, I was with my father..." It's used to describe time, who you're with, or anything else that needs to be explained.

"Go to..." - "I go to home", "When you go to America?", "We go to Zoo"...If the kids ever tell you about anywhere they are going to go or have been to, the phrase is always, "Go to..."


"New Dress" - Boy or girl, young or old, whenever you have new clothes this is the phrase. This is especially used a lot during the big holidays (Diwali, Christmas, and Pongal) because it's customary to wear new clothes on these days.

"Chocolates" - Any candy of any kind is a chocolate. To the kids, there are just all kinds of different chocolate: sweet chocolate, sour chocolate, mango chocolate, fruit chocolate.....any yummy little candy they can get their hands on is a chocolate.

"Sweet" - A "sweet" is any Indian dessert. Some "sweets" are "very very taste" and others....not so much.

"Jetty" - Jetty is actually the Tamil word for "underwear" but it's a word that has somehow been added to their English vernacular. The boys, especially, love to point out when someone else's "jetty" are showing. They also think it is hilarious when Americans use this word because it's Tamil. SO if you ever want the kids to have a good laugh, call somebody out about their jetty and it makes for a good laugh.

"Go and come"/"Take and come" - If the kids ever want you to bring them something or they want you to do something for them, they will use one of these two phrases. Lately the phrase has been, "Take and come Monopoly my house!" (I introduced the kids to the greatness that is Monopoly). Because of this, I hear the aforementioned phrase MULTIPLE times everyday.

"Maaaaaaa'aaaaammmmmm" - As all kids do, a lot of the Rising Stars love to whine. This is annoying a lot of the time (as it is with any kids) but the way they hold out the word "Ma'am" is definitely an Indian staple phrase. All the kids have a specific voice and face when they break out this phrase. This voice an phrase have become so commonplace that even the Indian staff imitate the kids when they do this.

"Kenady Ma'am!"/"Kenady Bunker" - These are the two names that I am called and referred to by the children. Never just Kenady or even Kenna. It's either Kenady Ma'am or Kenady Bunker. Hearing the kids call me from across the school or call me on the playground is something that I am severely going to miss. Really, it's not only my funny acquired 'titles' that I'm going to miss, it's mainly the little voices and the people they belong to, calling to me and wanting me to watch their cartwheel or their awesome Ninja kick. Those little voices will forever ring in my heart and head in and out of India. :)

Vanakkam

A Spectacle in Spectacles

For some reason, every time I wear my glasses I have at least one kid who wants to try them on. I don't know what it is but there is some novelty with my glasses that the kids love. Because the kids do this so often (and because they are so darn cute) I started taking pictures of them with my glasses on. Now it's time to behold the spectacle of spectacles!

P. Karthik!

Jessy!

Sagayamary!

Durga!

 Reshma!

 Krishnamoorthy!

Deepanraj!

Krishnamoorthy again!

Jeyanthi!

Abisha!

Nagalakshmi!

Megala!

 V. Devi!

My spectacles have never looked so good :)

Vanakkam