Happy Independence Day!

Aquatic life dress up day at school.
If this is not the cutest thing ever,
 I don't know what is. 

What a great week! Just when my time is over halfway through here, I feel like I am deepening relationships with teachers, knowing my students, discovering places to hang out and truly experiencing India.

Mango ice cream in Old Baroda
with Sunu, Shruti and Andrea.

My cooperating teacher is such a gem. She and her sister took Andrea and I to the Baroda museum, on a toy train ride through the zoo, and to the local--very authentic, very Indian--marketplace. Being a science teacher, Sunu was geeked for the zoo, even though we had just been there with the students! And I was jazzed about seeing a blue whale skeleton at the museum. It’s one of the largest full blue whale skeletons, and people travel from all over the world to see it. The museum and zoo area is surrounded by grassy gardens near the college campus. All this land was given to Baroda by the maharajah, or former king, and the buildings are timeworn, but stunning.  We stopped to get ice cream and walked around the gardens.

The vendor we bought
bindis from.

The marketplace in what they call “Old Baroda” was one of the most enchanting places. It was dusty, bustling and shoulder-to-shoulder with people and cattle, and crowded with shops selling everything from kurtas to appliances. The sun started to set, and this place became magical. I felt like I had stepped into a storybook, and the flashes of color, the vendors with various merchandise hanging from their carts, the dim lights, the murmur voices buying and selling--was all a dream. This marketplace was a maze of streets and alleys, with no street signs or store signs or addresses. People ducked in and out of shops, corners and doors that didn’t look like doors. You had to feel your way around and know this place, it’s culture, by heart. Even the locals get lost here, but we had Shruti with us, and she knew the way. We picked up some bindis, bangles and earrings, then stopped for more ice cream (the ice cream was only 10 rupees, or 16 cents!). This was my favorite experience in India so far.

Independence Day celebration.

In other news, Andrea and I have been going to yoga at least four times per week. In case you yogis were wondering how serious these people are about yoga, imagine doing 100 sun salutation sequences. Yes, we “worshiped” the sun in 4 sets of 25. That sun better feel loved!

My cooperating teacher, Sunu's birthday is
also on Independence Day!

The school's Independence Day celebration was so much fun. One of the Hindi teachers at school, Kaushalya, came to our house to help with the saris. While I love how elegant they look, it is a process to drape these things, pin them, walk, climb stairs (much less any other movements), and to take them off. They are a lot of work! But I felt good wearing it. The teachers recognized and appreciated my sari-wearing as an effort to know, learn and love their culture. Someone even took my photo for the school yearbook! The students performed a miming act, played musical instruments,  and danced traditional Indian dances. Everyone sang national songs and then the national anthem while the flag was raised.

We are going to Ahmedabad tomorrow, where one of Gandhi’s homes serves as a museum. Excited to see this city. More later!

Xoxo

~Rachel