I Tried!
So, this is my first blog post, and Tracy just serenaded me in celebration. Her guitar playing is fantastic, but it did build the pressure for this post, so here goes…
We are at SECMOL right now, a fantastic institution which Ari explained in her recent post. I am stricken by the Indian education system, and think I would have been an absolutely miserable student here. The exams, which are crucial for progression, are based all upon memorization, but SECMOL encourages a more practical system of learning, based on imagination and experience. It is really cool to talk to the kids, who are about our ages and get to know the school.
Last week we did homestays in Domkhar. I was really scared at first but it was a completely positive experience. The children in my family, Tashi Lahmo and Gurmet Dorjay, both spoke English, so I could communicate with them. Gurmet and I bonded immediately, he is sweet and smart and asked lots of questions. We would walk around the property, play with the dogs, cows, and cats. They had a little beach next to the Indus River and we made sandcastles and talked about science, his favorite subject. Tashi Lahmo and I bonded over song and dance. She taught me how to do traditional Ladakhi dance, and although I was bad, it endeared me to the family. She also taught me all the words to the current Ladakhi hit, “Miss Call.” Everywhere we go in Ladakh, people are amused by me singing it.
I am really struggling with trying to put this experience into words in a way appropriate for internet dissemination, but I made my best effort. I will continue to make the brunt of my contribution through drawings, so check out the flickr photos.
-Natalie