Dear family and friends,
I can't believe it, but I actually have an hour to myself, and computer to boot! no pun intended.
Early morning in Karnataka at the ECC is greeted by the dawn chorus. Such a cacophony of competing trills, shrills, tuk-tuks, tweets, melodies from high and low, coos from doves, chatter from parakeets such that it is impossible to remain in bed, but to get out there and commune with the natural world before getting down to intellectual pursuits.
Birdwatching is one of those rare pleasures that is often savoured alone, but I took one of our students around with me one day and it was a joy to find that she really responded to the quiet, slow pace of looking with eyes and binoculars, and listening. We meandered throughout the property, me pointing out trees, vines and flowers, as well as catching sight of some fine birds, including purple waterhen, anhinga, drongos and bee-eaters, which she caught on her good camera, so we were able to verify them with my book! She then went on to write a finely crafted short piece about our walk. That is what this semester is all about, and it is a real pleasure to watch our students find their voice in whatever way that moves them.
We have just returned from a three day trip to Chennai. One of our goals was to visit a small publishing and printing company there, Tara Books. Everyone was enchanted not only by the staff, who gave us a warm welcome up on the roof-top garden/patio, but by the extraordinary and wonderful books they create. Most of these books are for children. Many of the tales are myths and legends from India. Many of these are well known, such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, but there are also stories from Tribal legends, and animist folk tales. Most of their books are handmade. That is to say, not only is the paper handmade in Pondicherry, but the printing is done by hand, using the silk screen process. The binding is also done by hand, so that every book you hold in your hand is a work of art. The editorial staff either create, or adapt texts, and many of the books are stunningly illustrated by tribal artists. Tribals are some of the many groups from the countryside with their own dialect, customs and religions. They are now being recognized as an important cultural part of the Indian art scene, and Tara Books is leading the way in making known their talents, but making sure that proceeds go back to their communities. After lunch, we continued to the printing house in the suburbs. Set on the upper floor of an inconspicuous house, under a palm leaf roof it was quiet, cool and rather dimly lit, but the sides were open to the sky. At least ten men were in a production line,printing a book. Each had his particular part to play, and the rhythm of their production was flawless. Each page was silk-screened, taken off and placed onto slats to dry, anything up to 10,000 copies at a time! Impressive, to say the least.
Chennai is not the city one goes to for serious site seeing, but it is on the coast, and the vast stretches of beach are enticing, with fishing boats lined up, rolls of nets, and freshly caught fish for sale. We stopped to give the group a chance for photos, and the next thing we knew was that some of them had charged full tilt into the gently rolling surf! They came back to the bus dripping, covered in sand and ecstatic that they had now bathed in the Bay of Bengal! Such is the energy and joy that they bring to bear on all our activities.
We were on our way to the beach temples of Mahabalipuram. There we spent a couple of hours wandering round the protruding rock formations, into which cave temples, temples carved out of the rock itself, and an vast bas relief known as Arjuna's Penance. Some 80 feet long, and 30 feet high, it is a playful picture of elephants, monkeys, cats, apsaras, holy men, dancing girls, dwarfs and animals. There are two theories about what it relates, but it really doesn't matter what it really depicts, it is just a breathtaking feat of human creativity.
Now we are back at the ECC, our haven of peace and beauty. I was able to find some books in Chennai on the natural history all around us, which we will donate to the library here when we leave.
I am sure that Jonathan will be writing his own take on our recent activities, so I will close for now, and wish you all well, Happy Hallow'een, or whatever. ( Our students are frantically getting costumes and games ready to share with all the staff and children here).
Barbara.
I can't believe it, but I actually have an hour to myself, and computer to boot! no pun intended.
Early morning in Karnataka at the ECC is greeted by the dawn chorus. Such a cacophony of competing trills, shrills, tuk-tuks, tweets, melodies from high and low, coos from doves, chatter from parakeets such that it is impossible to remain in bed, but to get out there and commune with the natural world before getting down to intellectual pursuits.
Birdwatching is one of those rare pleasures that is often savoured alone, but I took one of our students around with me one day and it was a joy to find that she really responded to the quiet, slow pace of looking with eyes and binoculars, and listening. We meandered throughout the property, me pointing out trees, vines and flowers, as well as catching sight of some fine birds, including purple waterhen, anhinga, drongos and bee-eaters, which she caught on her good camera, so we were able to verify them with my book! She then went on to write a finely crafted short piece about our walk. That is what this semester is all about, and it is a real pleasure to watch our students find their voice in whatever way that moves them.
We have just returned from a three day trip to Chennai. One of our goals was to visit a small publishing and printing company there, Tara Books. Everyone was enchanted not only by the staff, who gave us a warm welcome up on the roof-top garden/patio, but by the extraordinary and wonderful books they create. Most of these books are for children. Many of the tales are myths and legends from India. Many of these are well known, such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, but there are also stories from Tribal legends, and animist folk tales. Most of their books are handmade. That is to say, not only is the paper handmade in Pondicherry, but the printing is done by hand, using the silk screen process. The binding is also done by hand, so that every book you hold in your hand is a work of art. The editorial staff either create, or adapt texts, and many of the books are stunningly illustrated by tribal artists. Tribals are some of the many groups from the countryside with their own dialect, customs and religions. They are now being recognized as an important cultural part of the Indian art scene, and Tara Books is leading the way in making known their talents, but making sure that proceeds go back to their communities. After lunch, we continued to the printing house in the suburbs. Set on the upper floor of an inconspicuous house, under a palm leaf roof it was quiet, cool and rather dimly lit, but the sides were open to the sky. At least ten men were in a production line,printing a book. Each had his particular part to play, and the rhythm of their production was flawless. Each page was silk-screened, taken off and placed onto slats to dry, anything up to 10,000 copies at a time! Impressive, to say the least.
Chennai is not the city one goes to for serious site seeing, but it is on the coast, and the vast stretches of beach are enticing, with fishing boats lined up, rolls of nets, and freshly caught fish for sale. We stopped to give the group a chance for photos, and the next thing we knew was that some of them had charged full tilt into the gently rolling surf! They came back to the bus dripping, covered in sand and ecstatic that they had now bathed in the Bay of Bengal! Such is the energy and joy that they bring to bear on all our activities.
We were on our way to the beach temples of Mahabalipuram. There we spent a couple of hours wandering round the protruding rock formations, into which cave temples, temples carved out of the rock itself, and an vast bas relief known as Arjuna's Penance. Some 80 feet long, and 30 feet high, it is a playful picture of elephants, monkeys, cats, apsaras, holy men, dancing girls, dwarfs and animals. There are two theories about what it relates, but it really doesn't matter what it really depicts, it is just a breathtaking feat of human creativity.
Now we are back at the ECC, our haven of peace and beauty. I was able to find some books in Chennai on the natural history all around us, which we will donate to the library here when we leave.
I am sure that Jonathan will be writing his own take on our recent activities, so I will close for now, and wish you all well, Happy Hallow'een, or whatever. ( Our students are frantically getting costumes and games ready to share with all the staff and children here).
Barbara.