Growing Pains. Day 2, 3, 4, 5

I don't know where to begin. We have been in 6th gear since we landed in Bengaluru. I am going to write based on all the aspects of our trip--kids school, new home (which includes cleaning it, setting it up, groceries, unpacking, laundry, etc.), filing for residency in India, establishing a partnership with a school for my inquiry project, and establishing courses at a University. And they all had to happen all at once. I am impressed with the fact that the entire family rose to the occasion and did what they needed to so that we can be up and running quickly. Well, the kids were kids. They really did not realize the "behind the scenes" action that was taking place. Maybe only our short tempers:-)

1. The kids new school- Indus International School Bangalore

All I can say is WOW! We got a tour and the school is everything I have always wanted for them in terms of education. Their classes are well rounded and geared towards building leadership skills. The class sizes are around 15 students and when you walk in the room, you can feel the energy. On the first day, Ashram learned that he will be able to go to music class and he did not want to even finish the tour because he was excited to go his class. The food is carefully prepared and sent out to be tested to ensure their is a right balance of nutrition. James got fitted for his uniform. They have a PE uniform and formal uniform and even get shoes. The younger kids do not get uniforms. We can walk to school and Ashram loves leading us.

Every Friday, James' class has presentations for 2-3 minutes on an artifact that they choose to bring in and have to talk about it for 2-3 minutes. Above is a dry run of his presentation before school.

2. Our Home- Villa #51

It is a gorgeous stand alone home with 3 floors. The first floor boasts the living room and kitchen. The second floor has 3 bedrooms and a common area. We made the common area a play area and Ashram's room has an office desk in it. Each room has a balcony attached to it. We made the 3rd floor into a mediation room with french doors leading out to a huge terrace.

While this house is amazing and has so much space and potential, it is a bit run down and dirty. It seems to us that no one has been living in it for a looooong time. John got the entire house up and running in 1 day. All the credit goes to John. I am not sure how to describe or explain the amount of cleaning, unpacking, organising, will power, perseverance, and grit it took. Here are 2 examples. We arrived at our house at 4pm on Tuesday afternoon. In the morning, John had figured out how to use the stove, make tea and coffee, and have breakfast ready for all of us. By the time we got home, John had created a meditation sanctuary for all of us. I feel so lucky to have a partner that is truly right their by my side. And today, Day 5, I am happy to say we are really living in the space and have only a few more things to do where we will be just upkeeping the house. It has felt like we have just moved into a new home that was a fixer upper. Look out Chip and Joanna, here we come---Fixer Upper India!

3. FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office)

I don't want to give this too much time since it has already taken up most of my time since we have been here in terms of getting the right documents, talking to the right people, and uploading all the documents for a family of 4. Needless to say I submitted all the paperwork on time. If I did not, it would have been a $300 fine for each one of us. It has felt like the Visa process all over again.

4. Fulbright Inquiry Project

I am trying to partner with Indus International since it is right down the street. Trying to get anywhere in Bengaluru takes about 30-40 minutes. I had a meeting with the Head of School and within 2 minutes she wanted to put the conversation of a partnership on hold and that they do not allow research from outsiders into the school. The funny thing is that youth participatory action research is research done from within. I, of course, did not get up and leave and thank her politely. I tried to understand where she was coming from and recognized that Indus International already has a program that is based at of Stanford called Designing Thinking Process (DTP) that is integrated into the daily curriculum. Students are required to think problems in the community and solve them. With this knowledge, I carefully crafted a conversation about how I could volunteer with that program and be a participating observer and that we can create a partnership that is mutually beneficial. At that point, the tension eased and the rejection was aborted. Now, I have a meeting with the head of the middle school to conversate about the possibilities for a partnership. I hope it goes better than the

first one!

5. Azim Premji University

This has been the only process that has not been difficult. Dr. Paik has been tremendous in helping me get started at the University and supporting my negotiations to establish a partnership for my inquiry project. On Monday, I will start my first class and have figured out how to navigate the commute given the fact that we leave a bit outside the city. The two classes that I have chosen are: 

(1) Educational Governance and Decentralization

(2) Class, Caste, and Gender

Dr. Paik also informed me that the classes are not standard lecture style. She creates her own case studies for her classes based on her own field work in the villages all around India. Her grading is 20%attendance and participation, 20% Group Presentations, 20% Individual Presentations based on each student's filed work, 20% Team/State Presentations, 20% Poster Presentation. I am excited and ready to learn! I love the dynamic way this class will be taught and I am told the other Professor and  most of the education department creates interactive and multiple intelligence classrooms. I am going to learn so much and I am thrilled to bring it back to New Mission!