Dear parents of 2008 Global Semester students,
About two thirds of your sons and daughters have taken taxis into downtown Bangalore for purposes of purchasing gifts and going out to lunch, so the five computers we have available for our use at the ECC are, for once, unoccupied. A good opportunity for us to write to you and let you know how things are going as far as our stay in India is concerned.
If you have been reading the letters we have been sending back to the St Olaf community, you will have a good idea as to what we have been doing; so we will not repeat all of that except to say that we think things have gone very well. Our time in Mumbai was extremely hot and humid, but our excursion to Elephanta Island turned out to be excellent; and the visits we made to Mother Teresa's orphanage and to Marketplace were experiences that many of your sons and daughters will never forget.
We were very concerned about how our students would adapt to the rural setting of the ECC after the rush of Cairo, but we are happy to report that they have learned to sit back and smell the flowers, so to speak, savoring the beautiful environment in which we live and the ECC community who have been so kind and welcoming to us. As you no doubt know, several of our students got together in small groups and purchased cell phones with SIM cards. We were not--and are still not--too happy about the "invasion of "life at home" that these phones create--and the potential problem they create for students who do not have the funds to purchase a phone or who choose to limit their communication to e-mail--but field supervisors have to pick their battles, and we decided this was one battle we would not wage. We do ask your cooperation, however, in not being obsessive about calling your son or daughter.
This past week, we celebrated Diwali, the Indian/Hindu festival of light, together, and after the fireworks the ECC staff put on a fabulous dinner for us. Friday afternoon/evening, we hosted the annual Global Halloween party for ECC children. About 30 children and quite a few parents attended. We had face-painting, games, a coloring context, and of course trick or treating. All of us (even the two field supervisors) dressed up in costumes. Wait until you see the pictures! It was a really wonderful occasion and the children were absolutely overjoyed.
We are moving into our last week and the pace is picking up. We are doing an excursion to Bangalore on Monday, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, we head to Mysore. Once we return from Mysore, it will be time to prepare the cultural evening we present annually, and after that it will be time to get ready for the final exam, pack up our stuff, and be on our way to New Dehli.
We said at the beginning that many of our students have taken cabs into downtown Bangalore today. This is the second Sunday we have been able to arrange this. Although neither of us is particularly attracted to city life or to shopping, we think it is good for students to have a safe, relatively inexpensive way for students to get into town from time to time. And just wait until you see the gifts they have purchased!
Last time we wrote, we asked for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf. As we approach the end of our time in India, and prepare for Fall break in Thailand, we make the same request. Be assured that we are doing our best to guide your sons and daughters, usually with a carrot but once in a while with a stick. So far, however, no one seems to be the worse for wear.
Wendy and Rich
About two thirds of your sons and daughters have taken taxis into downtown Bangalore for purposes of purchasing gifts and going out to lunch, so the five computers we have available for our use at the ECC are, for once, unoccupied. A good opportunity for us to write to you and let you know how things are going as far as our stay in India is concerned.
If you have been reading the letters we have been sending back to the St Olaf community, you will have a good idea as to what we have been doing; so we will not repeat all of that except to say that we think things have gone very well. Our time in Mumbai was extremely hot and humid, but our excursion to Elephanta Island turned out to be excellent; and the visits we made to Mother Teresa's orphanage and to Marketplace were experiences that many of your sons and daughters will never forget.
We were very concerned about how our students would adapt to the rural setting of the ECC after the rush of Cairo, but we are happy to report that they have learned to sit back and smell the flowers, so to speak, savoring the beautiful environment in which we live and the ECC community who have been so kind and welcoming to us. As you no doubt know, several of our students got together in small groups and purchased cell phones with SIM cards. We were not--and are still not--too happy about the "invasion of "life at home" that these phones create--and the potential problem they create for students who do not have the funds to purchase a phone or who choose to limit their communication to e-mail--but field supervisors have to pick their battles, and we decided this was one battle we would not wage. We do ask your cooperation, however, in not being obsessive about calling your son or daughter.
This past week, we celebrated Diwali, the Indian/Hindu festival of light, together, and after the fireworks the ECC staff put on a fabulous dinner for us. Friday afternoon/evening, we hosted the annual Global Halloween party for ECC children. About 30 children and quite a few parents attended. We had face-painting, games, a coloring context, and of course trick or treating. All of us (even the two field supervisors) dressed up in costumes. Wait until you see the pictures! It was a really wonderful occasion and the children were absolutely overjoyed.
We are moving into our last week and the pace is picking up. We are doing an excursion to Bangalore on Monday, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, we head to Mysore. Once we return from Mysore, it will be time to prepare the cultural evening we present annually, and after that it will be time to get ready for the final exam, pack up our stuff, and be on our way to New Dehli.
We said at the beginning that many of our students have taken cabs into downtown Bangalore today. This is the second Sunday we have been able to arrange this. Although neither of us is particularly attracted to city life or to shopping, we think it is good for students to have a safe, relatively inexpensive way for students to get into town from time to time. And just wait until you see the gifts they have purchased!
Last time we wrote, we asked for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf. As we approach the end of our time in India, and prepare for Fall break in Thailand, we make the same request. Be assured that we are doing our best to guide your sons and daughters, usually with a carrot but once in a while with a stick. So far, however, no one seems to be the worse for wear.
Wendy and Rich
