Redbud, Robinia, & Bluebonnets

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Spring is known as a time for growth and renewal in nature and in the classroom. During this season, kids' limbs are growing and they are getting taller. My fourth graders' minds are stretching into that awkward gap of responsibilities and looming thoughts of middle school.  The weather is about to get warmer, and we are growing into a new season. More injuries result as we are trying out our bodies that are too big for us and waiting as our brains catch up. It seems we are starting new each week. 

Here in Austin, the flowers are blooming a bit early, but we're ready to dive into the homestretch! Spring can feel like a high performance time, and chances are if you're stressed, the kids are feeling it, too. It's a great time to review content, revisit procedures, reread some picture books, and maybe do a fun Spring Math Maze. (And here are the Spring Math Maze Answers.) 

As educators, it is okay to take a deep breath and loop back around. We can celebrate our learning and how far we've come this year. Let's relax, and then look forward. You are doing a great job, teacher friends!

xoxo

Rachel 

**Celebrate the start of spring with this fun maze worksheet from Education.com! While the weather is warming up, find even more educational math games here.

I am thankful for you

Loves, 

During the first week of school, I could feel my life changing. I was excited it was Friday, but not counting down the minutes. I said, “Have a great weekend!” to coworkers, but it was cheerful. I needed the rest but was energized to have a couple days to explore Austin. I wasn't collapsing on the couch. School is fun and minimally stressful. If there are stresses, I have the capacity to deal with them. We go to chapel every day. The first week, I almost cried happy tears. This was a place where children are loved, cherished, safe, and where they believe in themselves.

During chapel, students at Trinity sing about a place where they can grow and change the world. And they actually believe that is true. 

They actually have a chance to grow, build confidence, and learn. If a student experiences a setback, the community is there to surround them and help them up. An empathetic friend or teacher is there always saying positive things and redirecting in a positive way. If I have a rough morning, it doesn’t set the tone for the whole day. All the other support I receive makes it go away. 

If my low-income Chicago students were somehow transplanted in this community, friends, they would thrive. My heart hurts for them and I miss them and wish I would have had the metacognition to love them from the place I am now. 

The fun is back in teaching. If a child is bouncy or just not listening, that is embraced. Teachers have the capacity and patience to deal with it in a kind way. I have the capacity to joke and develop relationships with students that redirect behavior in a silly-fun-loving-kid-friendly way. 

I am looking forward to seeing my friends and family over this Thanksgiving Break, but not desperately counting down the days. When coworkers said, “Have a great break!” It was cheerful. It wasn’t about me desperately needing time off because I was going to get sick or physically/mentally/emotionally was about to break down 

I am me again. I’m playing basketball in a league. I’m playing basketball with my students at recess. I’m coaching 4th grade girls basketball. I have coworkers I trust and who truly support me. 

I am going out on REALLY GOOD dates. A full Alamo Draft house experience and another for

queso and to a local bookstore. To outdoor patios with those lovely porch lights and to rooftops overlooking the skyline. In fact, I went on more dates in my first couple months in Austin than I did all last year. 

I’m WRITING. I went to meet a picture book author (Alexandra Penafold) and to a Write Away Day at the Writing Barn, a beautiful city-central-but-getaway venue. Stacks of picture books lined the walls and it stirred my heart, that deepest place where our passions and emotions lie. I wrote poetry and entered an essay contest. It doesn’t matter if I win, IT FEEDS MY SOUL.

I go out to a bar with a Detroit Lions watch group every Sunday to watch the Lions (lose). Sometimes I’m inclined to to socialize, others not. But it’s so fun to be with my ✋🏻people!  

While still “feeling things out”, I went to church for the community aspect. Chrysta, a college friend, has truly loved me into her and Barrett’s church community. 

I joined a gym, ohhh lordy. But hear me out.  I have time to go. It has a basketball court where I can practice. Sometimes The Guys ask me to play! 😂 I’m more active. I can go to spin class on Saturday mornings and my women’s craft beer group happy hour on first Tuesdays and not worry about grading papers. I have an excuse to explore the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Lady Bird Lake Trail, Mount Bonnell, Zilker Park, McKinney Falls State Park, Walnut Creek Trail, and so many more trails and green spaces. 

I feel like I’m on my own and it’s liberating. I am on my own and it’s scary. I am missing connections I’ve built over 9 years of living in Chicago. 

I have a new outlook on life. I am realizing how much humans need each other. I love the past and the present is satisfactory and the future is invigorating. My most current goal is to be able to afford two pugs, and I will name them Macy and Samson. 

At the end of the day, it’s just me. I am making my own decisions. Friends and coworkers come and go, relationships, too. And I’m okay with that. I am enough.

My friends and acquaintances, and family, my coworkers and teachers, I am truly grateful for you. I love who you are and your struggles and wins. We are better, more vulnerable people if we share with each other.

Xoxoxo Rachel

PS Teacher friends, Education.com gave me this cute winter worksheet to pass on to you!. I know in the days leading up to holiday breaks it can be fun to take a brain break to do some of these with your students. Warm up reading skills with this fun winter word search! Be sure to check Education.com for more great reading activities! 

Warm up reading skills with this fun winter word search! Be sure to check Education.com for more great reading activities! 

Back-to-school...as the teacher this time!

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt 

Hi, I'm Rachel and I'm a planner. I struggle with uncertainty and fear the things I cannot control. This year really threw me off. 

Working at Lab school was awesome. I had an amazing supervisor who was invested in the professional development of staff. My job as an aide for a little boy with autism turned into the most fulfilling work I've had thus far. He is my little buddy and he made so much progress this year. It was only supposed to be a few hours a week to make ends meet, but it evolved into part time and so much more.

I was supposed to move to Florida and I worked my ass off applying to schools, going to conferences, and flying to interviews. It felt like a failure to stay in Chicago when I so desperately was seeking change. I am such a planner that I decided it was too risky to go, so I stayed. And then I received an offer from a key school in Florida and several emails back with interest in pursuing the hiring process further. But it was too late for me.

To add insult to injury, I was still receiving rejection emails from Florida schools. Like one or two per day. Don't take things personally. I can hear Carol's words now (see below). Wtf is wrong with me? Anne Lamott would say this is my shitty first draft. I don't have enough experience. I'm a bad teacher. All my friends have jobs and I don't. I'm going to have to substitute teach again...blah blah blah.

Then all the hope came rushing back when a position at Lab school opened up. I went on last minute interviews and then was lined up for the position. They ended up hiring someone else on the spot. There I was, lying face down  on the arena floor. I tried to pick myself up, but this one stung. I went on 3 more interviews and received one offer. I needed about .01 seconds to decide to accept it. A 5th grade math position at a CPS turnaround school on the south side. That is about as cray as it gets, folks. I was ashamed. Like I said, I was more relieved for a job than celebratory.

During my summer nannying gig, I met the most wonderful woman while letting the girls splash around in the Crown Fountain. Carol sat next to me, and mentioned she was a teacher. She taught for 38 years-holy cow! She taught fifth grade (like I will). Naturally I asked if she had any advice. Without missing a beat, she said, "Here are the four things you need to know":

1. Be honest. Tell the truth. I took this as being vulnerable with students and not being afraid to show your humanity. It makes you more relateable. She said it's also about being honest with students about how they are doing.

2. Do your best. You will make mistakes, but you're not perfect, Carol said. Boy, do I know that to be true!

3. Don't make assumptions. This is a hard one for me. We make assumptions simply because we are human and trying to gather so much information. We end up grouping people because it's easier, but that doesn't make it right. I have my own ideas about what my class will be like and where my students come from, but their stories are so much richer and meaningful, and it's my job to know them.

4. Don't take things personally. Carol made me repeat this after her twice. I think I'm pretty good at this, but I do worry I will get worn down. As a teacher, you're constantly on display and it's wearing to always be patient with others.

Then Carol did something amazing. She patted me on the back and said "I am so thankful you got a job. Congratulations!"

It took me a second to figure out why I was taken aback by this. Then I realized she understood what I'd been through. She got me. We talked about how it was a teacher's market back in her day, but I was struggling to find a job, even with many diverse experiences. I told her about my excruciating application process and all the rejections. I hadn't even celebrated. Even if I'm not exactly at the type of school I want, I have worked very hard, and it is an accomplishment. I had been so busy comparing to other teachers in fancy schools, those with more experience, and so focused on not getting what I wanted, that I neglected to be grateful for my unique journey. 

In Rising Strong, Brené Brown talks about how to pick yourself up after a failure after you have dared greatly in the arena. In some ways I am still in the arena with this new teaching venture. In others, I am picking myself up from what seems like a failure. But Carol proved it wasn't a failure at all. It was a piece of my puzzle and part of my learning about resilience. And for that, I am truly grateful.  

Though I have had many teaching experiences, this is the first time I will have my own homeroom, and I am SO FREAKING READY. Happy back-to-school!!

PS I think 5-year-old me knew I wanted to be a teacher 20 years before I did!

Travel Tips for Teachers (or anyone, really)

I was inspired to share some of my travel and money savings tips with you. Though it's not quite directly related with teaching, travel is something most teachers take advantage of in their time off during the summer. I realized my 2016 Eurotrip was a "last hurrah" before I settled into a regular fall school schedule and now my longest period to travel will be in the summer months. Rather than learn the hard way like I did, here are some (hopefully) useful, tried and true tips from a fellow teacher/travel enthusiast:

1. Pack lightly. It's all over the Designated Tip Lists of the Interwebs, but seriously. You don't need as much as you think you do. Only pack clothes you are comfortable wearing. You won't wear something if you can't walk in it all day. Every piece of clothing counts.

The top of Arthur's Seat hike in Edinburgh (free activity!)

2. Bring your own water bottle. (Just don't forget to empty it before going through security! I have been impressed at how much water I've needed to chug at a frantic moment's notice, though, hehe). My friend BreAnna, aka Crafty Coin attests to this, too. Don't pay for bottled water-it's better for the environment AND your wallet.

3. Map your route beforehand using Google Maps so you know if a taxi driver is taking the best route. If traveling internationally, you can also follow your location on the map this way to navigate without WiFi.

4. Bring bar soap and powder laundry soap so they don't count as liquids in your carry on baggage. This is if you're a savvy non-bag checker (or just refuse to pay the ridiculous fees).

5. Open a credit card like CapitolOne that offers no foreign transaction fees. Did you know credit card companies charge for changing over currency into USD?

6. Order local currency from your bank to avoid fees and get the best exchange rate. And order more currency than you need-many banks will change currency back to USD for free. Often, too, there's a significant ATM fee when withdrawing abroad.

7. Carry on. Do not check baggage *because of aforementioned ridiculous fees*. Embrace budget airlines, but beware of the hidden fees. I learned this the hard way, and also by reading tips from smart girls like Curiosity and a Carry On. I hope you feel the same exhilaration I do of packing everything you need for two weeks in a carry on.

8. Don't be afraid to take public transportation in a foreign country. Ask for directions at the bus or train station, as many employees speak English. It's so much cheaper than taxis! More beer money!

9. Take red eye flights or trains so as to not pay for lodging on a night between destinations.

10. Wash clothes while traveling. Buy a drain stopper, clothesline, and powder laundry soap to wash in the sink. This way, you save on room in your suitcase or time/coins at the laundromat.

11. Download travel god, Rick Steve's walking audio tours. There's an app for that! These free, guided tours save you from hiring and tipping a guide. Plus, you can stroll at your own pace.

I am enlarging this fave photo of Széchenyi Thermal Bath
in Budapest, Hungary as a souvenir

12. Plan a layover in a city of interest. If a layover is inevitable, you might as well make the most of it! For my Eurotrip, I had a five hour layover in Berlin while en route to Budapest. It was just enough time to see a few highlights, drink a good German beer, and stretch my legs before sitting on the plane again.

13. Make pictures your souvenirs. I hate feeling like souvenirs are inauthentic or not meaningful, but I still want a token to remember each place I've visited. Take your best photo and blow it up into a poster and frame it. Voila! New art for the bedroom and a great memento.

14. Use a Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour as transportation. These tours are offered in many cities, and I loved that it doubled as transportation. I got off at a stop and would take the bus route again to drop me off near my Airbnb or next destination.

15. Go to the grocery store. Pack a lunch for the day, but try authentic food and treat yourself for dinner. Breakfast and lunch items are easy to buy and much more cost efficient than eating out for all three meals.

16. When using a credit card, pay in the local currency if given a choice. This will give you the most accurate exchange rate, and sometimes banks charge a fee to change the money back to USD. See #6, above.

17. Use Airbnb (and get $35 off your first trip by using my referral code!). You will usually get a better deal than a hotel, and with amenities like a kitchen, shampoo, or breakfast included, it can save a lot! The hosts are also very helpful in recommending sights to see and places to eat in the area. You will automatically be connecting with a local who has insider information.

Stunning view of Vitosha Mountains from my Airbnb in Sofia, Bulgaria

18. Ensure time is on your side. Let's say it takes 15 minutes longer to take public transportation than a taxi. You will be more likely to opt for the dough-saving route of time is on your side. Same with allowing for grocery shopping and standing in lines versus their queue-skipping, costly ticket counterparts will help save money and allow for a more enjoyable experience.

Homemade Czech meal.
Best meal of the trip!

19. Research. Trips take tons of planning. You need time to research which options will save you money and which aren't worth the hassle.

20. Get lost. Don't plan too much or you will feel super stressed to fit everything in your schedule. Allow time to wander and stumble upon your own treasures. Also consider getting out of the city. The countryside of many spots is more authentic and less touristy. And cheaper! The best decision was to rent a car in Prague and drive three hours to the country. We had the best homemade Czech meal of our lives and breathtaking scenery!

21. Take M&Ms. It's chocolate that won't melt and they make you feel at home. :)

I love planning trips. If you are thinking of traveling, but don't want the hassle, let me do it for you! Email me for a quote at racheltalen@gmail.com.

Summer Lab

I meant to post earlier about my Summer Lab experience, but started traveling soon after the session was done.

I really had a blast with this group of 3rd and 4th graders. Going to work didn't feel like work. My head teacher was so knowledgeable and had been teaching this course for nearly 10 years!

Nature Detectives mostly involved kiddos showing me insects they discovered. Kidding, but really! We caught a lot of bugs to study them up close and then released them. We learned about what animals need to survive, food chains, and food webs. We explored Botany Pond on the U of C campus, learned about beehives, dissected owl pellets, glued together real vole skeletons, and went on a couple really cool field trips-a nature walk at the Little Red Schoolhouse, to a Nature Preserve in Lake Forest, and to the Field Museum.

It was exciting to see the kids so enthusiastic about science and nature. They LOVED to read, and just ate this material up. 

I often find myself to be a student of my students.They teach me so much. During Summer Lab, they reminded me to be curious, and it's OK to get nerdy excited because that means you're passionate!I find myself noticing and appreciating nature more, and saying things like, "LOOK at that fascinating spider web," and "Oh my! Those mushrooms are oddly shaped." As an adult, I am constantly learning, thinking, and growing.

I couldn't have asked for a better summer experience. These kids rock!

Love & Marriage

I have gathered "data" from several sources over the last couple months, and have found the concept of marriage here so fascinating. I always thought arranged marriages were a thing of the past, but they are indeed the way of life here.

Teacher 1 described this to me: Once a girl reaches her early to mid-twenties, her parents start talking to family friends and friends of friends to feel out if there are any potential suitors. They also have matrimonial websites where the parents can go online to find a match for their daughter. The parents will arrange a meeting at the girl's house. The families will sit in the front room and the girl will serve them tea. Then, the couple will sit in a room by themselves to talk, and the man will ask the woman questions about herself, like what are her hobbies, where did she do her studies, etc. It's very much about accomplishments and the family status. Males might look for a woman who is educated, maybe of a higher caste, can cook, has good manners, and can serve tea well.

In this teacher's experience, they only had 15 minutes in a room together to decide the REST OF THEIR LIVES. The man and his family will leave the house and say, "Ok, we will inform you later." This teacher did not ask the guy any questions and wasn't into it. A woman also may want to turn down at least one male suitor before she accepts. He called later to say he had rejected her. But his brother said, "No, the girl was nervous, give her another chance." So he called again and made an offer. Teacher 1 accepted, only because her parents wanted her to. 

At the time, he lived 4 hours away, and it is not acceptable to visit the guy's house until you are married. He could not visit her, because he had to work and the distance was too much. So they talked on the phone and texted for only 2 MONTHS before their wedding. She had not met the guy's mother until that day. Now they have been married 7 years and have 2 children. She says they are still learning to love each other. They call this "love after marriage." This woman has such amazing qualities (kind, intelligent, caring, SO hilarious, loves food, reading, etc), and it saddens me to think that her husband married her without falling in love with these qualities first.

Teacher 2 had a "love marriage," or love before marriage. This is extremely rare and forbidden, really. In love marriages, the couple is shunned from their families. They must run away together. Teacher was smiling and so happy talking about her husband, but said her family only recently acknowledged the marriage. She has been married for 14 years and has a 12-year-old daughter.

Teacher 3's experience is even sadder. I think the more common experience is that after an arranged marriage, the couple ends up hating each other. They are stuck, though, because divorce is not an option. It's absolutely off the table. Teacher 3 has been verbally abused by her husband. She has also been extremely rude and hateful toward him in reaction. But still, they must live a lie. They put on a front and have been forced to tolerate each other for 35 years. They are not friends and are unhappy, which affects all other aspects of their lives.

Teacher 4's story is much better. She did not want to get married and wanted to continue in her higher studies. However, after her arranged marriage, she is now totally (still) in love with her husband of 20+ years.

And sorry, singles! 30 is considered VERY old. By 35, you are a lost cause and your family will basically disown you.

Indian weddings are also fascinating. They are usually a three-day process and involve tons of money, guests, food, several outfit changes and many rituals. The male's family pays for all the guests to eat for 3 days, and to fly in any foreign guests.

Even after marriage Indians are rarely affectionate. A married couple may be sitting next to each other, but you would have no idea they even know each other!

The Countdown Begins!

My fave English teacher, Lakshmi.
Going to miss this lady!

T-8 days until I'm back in the States, and I can't wait! I am wrapping up the chapters I've been teaching and students are reviewing for their summative assessments (across all Delhi Public Schools).

Saturday was Teacher Appreciation Day. I wish every day was Teacher Appreciation Day. Students decorated our room and showered us with gifts, candy and cards. Then, students walked around to all the staff rooms and fed us cake (like they took a chunk with their hands and put it up to our mouths). Then, they touched our feet, which is a sign of respect for elders. At night, there was a festival for teachers with live music, games, food and dancing. I won a prize for randomly wearing a headband and Andrea won for best dancer. The teachers were so much fun outside of school! Laughing and taking pictures. Great memories. One teacher's flash wouldn't go off and a group of us were trying to hold our poses and smiles. The gym teacher, exasperated, shouted a string of Hindi words. I was like "I have no idea what she said..." Andrea finished my sentence

Teacher's Day haul.

with..."but I was thinking the same thing!" Hilarious, and true. You often don't need words to communicate.

School Updates

Science: We are finishing up the Our Body chapter, and Sammy the skeleton is looking healthier and more colorful. Students LOVED the circulatory system activities--squeezing a crumpled paper ball 90 times to simulate the heart pumping and taking their pulses after marching in place for one minute. After the paper ball exercise, I asked, "Class, aren't we so glad our heart does this for us automatically? That we do not have to think about pumping

I had Andrea recording my lesson,
so we were actually able to capture
this moment on video!

our heart every second?" They looked at me blankly, so I repeated, "Aren't you glad for your heart?!" They all started clapping and I lost it laughing in front of class. Apparently, they thought I said, "Clap for your heart."

Social Studies: The students enjoyed creating thinking maps (circle map, bubble map, tree map) on the different aspects of culture in Chennai. This sparked an idea for SS in my future classroom. Why not have country "boxes" from all over the world? A small group of students would discover different artifacts in their box and have to research and present to the class why each artifact is significant. For example, an India box might contain a some tea leaves, a sari, an elephant god figurine, etc.

English: We read a play called Clever Carla, which taught students not to be greedy. The students acted out the different roles with great enthusiasm!

Okay, so Sammy's not "medically"
accurate, but the kids love him,
and can identify all the parts!

Math: In an attempt to make Roman numerals (yawn) more interesting, I had students find a secret message. They could decode the message only by first identifying the Roman numeral that would unlock a letter.

Teacher Appreciation Day celebration.

This weekend, we attended a seminar at church and had lunch at the pastor's family's house. Then, we hung out with Andrea's cooperating teacher, Anu, and her family for dinner. Anu's husband works for the Railway, so we saw the only railway training facility in India and walked around the gardens. Then we played basketball with her daughter, Harsha, who is a bundle of energy. I taught Harsha every ball handling trick I could remember (Pistol Pete, anyone?) and we had a blast!

 Today was another rough day with my students. Both Andrea and I are struggling with lack of consequences/no behavior management system. Andrea so eloquently described it: "It's like an abusive relationship. [The students] say they won't hit again and that they're sorry, but just do it again the next day!" We laughed. And I didn't beat myself up over the rough day this time.

4 Days in Delhi and 14 Stops Later...

Before we left for Delhi we had lunch at the pastor's house. He and his wife are Indian, but met at college in Texas. It was fun to chat with their oldest daughter, Bethany (18) about being a Christian in a predominately Hindu culture.

We had a couple days off from school because of protests in Ahmedabad. A young leader is protesting unfair distribution of jobs and wealth in the caste system. He was detained, so his  some 450,000 followers protested with arson, etc. It was scary because we were just in Ahmedabad a couple weeks ago. The government closed schools and buildings and imposed a curfew in Gujarat. It shut down Internet and phone services. Now things seem to have calmed down.

We flew into Delhi Thursday and stayed until Monday. We covered a lot of ground in the meantime:

1. Lakshmi Temple. All religions are welcome to worship here, but we only saw idols of Hindu gods. We learned the swastik symbol means good luck. The guide told me while Hindus have many gods (literally millions), they think of one ultimate god, but with three parts: "g" for generator of the world, "o" for operator, and "d" for destroyer.

2. Qutub Minar. It is a 72.5m high tower built in celebration of victory over Delhi's last Hindu kingdom and is also used as a watchtower. It contains the 1st Mosque in India. Inside the complex is an iron pillar, which scientist still cannot figure how it was cast given the technology at the time.

3. Safdarjang's Tomb. The king of Kolkata built this for his father in the 18th century, and it is the last known example of Mughal architecture.

4. Gandhi Smiriti museum. This is the home and assassination place  of Gandhi. He had just finished a meeting and was led to prayer in the backyard, when he was assassinated. You can see his footsteps leading to this place, now covered by a pavilion.

We stopped for lunch near Connaught Place and I had masala dosa. Masala means "spices" and dosa

Masala dosa. I love India food!

is a type of thin bread made from fermented rice. It proved to be my favorite food in India so far. I also decided I need to visit South India (especially Kerala) because I like its food and clothing the best.

5. Next we stopped at Red Fort. It was built by Shah Jahan, a Mughal emperor and completed in 1647.

6. Rajghat. Gandhi's remains are here and so is a large memorial garden. We learned his last word was Raam, which means God.

7. Humayan's Tomb contains 108 graves. Built by his wife in 15th century, it's the 1st example of Mughal architecture. Humayan was the son of the first Mughal emperor and father of Emperor Akbar. They call it the red Taj Mahal.

Day 2

Khan market wasn't its usual crowded
self because of the festival.

Raksha Bandhan (Rhaki Festival) is a tradition celebrating brother/sister relationships. Sisters tie a rhaki bracelet on their brother or guy friend's wrist, symbolizing their love, and for the brother, it is a sign of his protection for her. We got to see our host's sister's family do this! The sister is supposed to feed the brother a something sweet, and then he gives his sister money or a gift. 

Meeting up with friends of
friends in New Delhi.

8. Laj Nagor Central Market is one of Delhi's many bazaars. The city is known for excellent shopping.

9. Khan Market and Khan Chacha restaurant. Very touristy, but we had fun exploring. Interesting that very high-end shops are right next to cheap stalls. My favorite food (topping even the masala dosa) was paneer roll at Khan Chaha restaurant. It is cottage cheese chunks in a masala gravy wrapped in a thin, fried bread. Our hosts in Delhi told us about this place, and I am so glad they did!
10. Hauz Khas Village. More shopping! 

The flower pattern that covers the Taj.
It's also found on Humayan's Tomb.

We were able to meet up with Arun, a relative of one of the families I used to babysit for in Chicago. We had coffee and then met a group of his friends from church. I decided I could see myself living in Delhi (my favorite city so far), and that I was really missing this type of community in Baroda.

Day 3
11. Agra & Taj Mahal. Obviously the massive, marble Taj became my favorite sight so far. It's breathtaking. I fell in love with the flower pattern made from precious stones that adorns the mausoleum. (If I sound like a guide book, it's because I have poured over my India travel books, totally in love with the history...and making up for the semester of World History at college, from which I retained nothing.)   

In  front of the Taj.

The Taj was built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his 3rd wife, whom he loved very much, and died giving birth to their 14th child. The shah's grave was later placed next to his wife. It took eight years to complete. I thought it was cool how mathematically accurate the measurements are, given they had none of the modern day tools.

Day 4
12. Dilli Haat. One of Delhi's bazaars.
13. Janpath. A bazaar. Spent too many rupees. 

14. Hardiram's at Connaught Place. This is like a food court where you can try food from various parts of the country.

T-2 weeks until I'm back in the States! I am torn, as I will sob when I have to leave my teachers and kids, but sob from happiness to reunite with luxuries like beer, toilet paper and Triscuits. 

My Life is My Message - Gandhi

"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." - Gandhi

Kankaria Lake

I just love this quote because it reflects my desire to travel, see new places and to learn other cultures. Gandhi gets me! And I could not help but think one of his other famous quotes, "My life is my message", would make an excellent tattoo, except it's such a strong statement to live up to!

Last weekend we visited Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat. A driver picked us up and took us all around. First, we stopped at Kankaria Lake, which is a large man-made lake with amusement parks around. It was a scenic place to run and for families to come and play.

Then we went to a mosque built in the 1500s. We had to take our shoes off and they would not let women even approach the structure, so we looked from a distance. We were also not allowed to take pictures.

Gandhi's house

Then, we went to the Gandhi museum and saw the religious living community, called ashram, where he stayed while in India. Here, he paid Indians to spin cloth in support of the Independence movement. There was a lot to read, but not many artifacts, as he was a simple man. He was involved in many national and international political issues, and often went on long fasts until a favorable decision was made. It sounds like Gandhi, and many people here take pieces from different religious and stitch them together to form a belief system. They read the Vedas as well as the Bible and Quran.

The next stop was Akshardam Temple, a Hindu place of worship. Again, quite the process to get in. We had to leave everything-purses, cell phones, shoes, etc. to enter. The architecture was stunning, so intricately detailed. Inside, there was a huge idol and many other idols of gods surrounding for people to pray to.

Adalaj Stepwell

My favorite stop was the Adalaj Stepwell. It’s structured in a way that the rainfall collected in this bath, were people would come for religious cleansing. There were spiral staircases and passageways leading down. The stone was carved so beautifully that we just stopped and stared for a while.

This weekend we saw Bahubali, a popular Hindi movie, at a new theater. We went with Kaushayla, a Hindi teacher at the school. She helped translate what was going on every so often. Our snack of choice was popcorn and Pepsi, but you can also get Indian chat, or snacks. There is an intermission during every movie.

Sunday, we went to one of two Christian churches in the city. It was a dual service-Hindi and English. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. We went to one of Andrea’s student’s houses for lunch. Andrea has been informally teaching Spanish to a group students during their breaks. They practice with the handy DuoLingo app at home, so we helped two of her students learn animal vocabulary. This is what they do on the weekends for fun!

These girls (6th grade) are so studious—one is also trying to learn French, German and Spanish. This is in addition to the languages most Indians have. Usually they know 1) Their local language (here is Gujrati), 2) Their home language (if they grew up in a different part of India), 3) Hindi, 4) Sanskrit (similar to Hindi), and English.

Sammy gets a digestive system.

In other school news, we have started the “Our Body” chapter in Science. The school has a skeleton, but we cannot bring it into the classroom...so I made a foldable one! Sammy the Skeleton received a muscular system and digestive system, and soon a nervous system. The kids loved the activity I found—taking a piece of bread and squishing it in a Ziploc bag to simulate digestion. I added juice and squished it some more (they were surprisingly not grossed out). I explained the intestines absorb what is needed and then drained the “waste water” in the sink. I threw out the solid waste in the trash. Science is so cool, right?!

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