Holi.

Holi, the Hindu festival of colours. I don't believe there's a Roman Catholic answer to such a celebration, fair enough though, I don't know if we'd be particularly good at it either.

The sight of a grown man trudging through the streets of Mundgod covered in pink, green and orange paint is one that I won't forget in a hurry. Nor will I forget running round a small building with more than 50 over excited Indian children pressing powdered paint mixed with water into each others face.

It was incredible to be honest, there was a heavy, heavy downpour of rain and the Social centre has an open courtyard in the middle of the building. So as water cascaded from the heavens, water was also thrown from the 2nd floor of the building by older students via buckets onto the younger ones and myself. I have worked out that Paint added to Water combined with Jesuits plus over excited Indian children equals genuine chaos.

Genuine chaos that could never be achieved in Britain, I fear. For they are too many safety regulations, rightly so in some cases, but never have I seen so many breaches of Health and Safety rules in one and a half hours. It was wonderful. I suppose that weren't really breaking any rules because the past 3 months have taught me that India doesn't really seem to have Health & safety rules.

Anyway, during Holi I was punched in the nose by Naveen, had a running duel with a previously mentioned fiend named Saifalli, was unfairly targeted with water by an older girl of African descent who can run like Usain Bolt and also I had the pleasure of Brother Shantraz, an absolute bear of a Jesuit, maul a few pesky kids using a rough blend of his own human flesh and powder paint.
I won't forget Holi for a long, long time.

Thanks for reading. Ed x

A real good send off.

This morning I walk out of my room to be greeted by a couple of enthusiastic 17 year old boys.

Then along skipped Desmond:

"Edmund, one picture with you please. We are going home today for our holidays."

I was a little surprised, i thought they were going home tomorrow, but it was no big deal. I gave them two photos naturally, for i'm a Stoer, generosity walks through my veins.

It was all good then, to begin with, for a picture is a picture. Nothing of any really interesting, but then it took a little turn not so much for the worse, but at least for the stranger. I was a bit taken a back when good old Srikant limped over to me (he's got a strange leg) and asked me for my autograph.

Me: "My autograph? ... okay, but my handwriting is not very good. Is that okay?"
Srikant: "Yes, thank you, and a few of your favourite things as well please."
Me: "Excuse me?"
Srikant: "Yes, please right down a few of your favourite things."
Me: "Like what?"
Srikant: "Um...games? food?"
Me: "Oh okay, (I write down football and then rice). Anything else?"

Soon, i've written my favourite game, food, fruit, place in the world and then another boy hits me with his little gem:

Shanka: "What about your favourite flower?"

I answered Rhododendron, but i don't know why.

Desmond: "And the things you believe in? Write down the things you believe in."
Ed: "You mean God?"
Desmond: "Yes, yes write that down."

So I wrote, "I believe in God." and was met with a very appreciative "Thank you, Edmund, thank you."

And so I went on my way out of the hostel to the social centre, where i work, leaving behind these guys who seem pretty impressed by me. I'd hate to think it was the colour of my skin and not my vibrant and charismatic personality, but i'm afraid it may be.

Still though, i've been here almost 10 weeks and India keeps throwing these small, funny incidents at me.
Good old India, it's keeping me amused i'd say.

Thanks for reading.
Ed x

Teaching English? No, we're moulding the characters of tomorrow.

Naveen, Saifalli, Prakiresh, Priya, Nezapolli, Ajappa...

You may not recognise these names, but i know i certainly do. Day to day, i'm imprinting my wisdom onto the future characters of rural Karnatakan society.
The morning class I have is especially is brimming with potential.

For example, Naveen. Oh Naveen, what an endearing, young boy. I'm not sure he knows what's happening. Neither myself nor Sarah have any idea what he is thinking at anytime during our class. But one cannot say he's lacking dynamism, but he is lacking a directness and any sort of sense in his approach to have a positive impact on the world.
He's the kind of boy that steals the class pencil sharpener with a fiendish desire. Don't try and get him to relinquish control of that sharpener, for he will not relinquish any stationary he gets his hands on.


Then there's Saifalli, an oddball you may say. Probably the oddest of all the oddballs i've seen in my years.
He really is a strange looking child, i'm not entirely sure he means well either.
A few days ago we gave the children an animal and they had to mimic the animal in front of the rest of the class for the others to guess what animal is was(interactive learning, John Stoer's looking over his shoulder i bet).
Not a difficult task i'd say, yet Saifalli was none too impressed. As he rose from his seated position and looked down at the class about to give his own interpretation of how a tiger acts in it's most natural of surroundings, Saifalli merely inhaled and exhaled very vigorously twice almost like a vicious snore, then sat down.

"Saifalli, what was that?"

No response was given and we knew then that we were dealing with a being made of harder stuff than ourselves. Saifalli had had his way with our classroom game, and that was that.


India doesn't really do romance, boys and girls do not mix in public. In Bollywood films they are not allowed to show two characters kiss for goodness sake. But that does not prevent the chemistry that is held between Priya and Nezapolli.

The Primary school God's would have it no other way that the boy and girl who are comfortably the most attractive in the class should have such chemistry. They're like Brad & Angelina except they're 7 year's old.


I could write more about my students and maybe touch on how i'm moulding them into the roles of future leaders. However, my time's almost up at this internet cafe and i wanted to finish on by saying that despite my 2 classes everyday, Indian life has been getting a little bit uneventful.

This is no slight whatsoever to Nayak's ice cream shop, for that double sundae is the highlight of my day, but there really isn't much in Mundgod and life is quite strict. It doesn't help as well that C-Mac (Catherine MacMillan) texted me from Tanzania saying how wonderful Tanzania is and how busy she is and what a wonderful time she's having.

I think i'm still waiting for the Indian party to get started. In the meanwhile, i'm quite content with scrabble, ice-cream and mini bananas.

Thanks for reading.
Ed x