The beginning of my India!

Dear Loved Ones,

Most most importantly, I have a grove of coconut trees outside of my bedroom window. Can you believe that?! I wake up every morning to birds singing from coconut trees!


I am in rural, RURAL India. Imagine miles and miles of fields, banana tree groves, and villages of dirt-poor homes. Yes, I'm there. There is not a building in site. It's just our little campus in the middle of acres of fields. Bangalore is about 2 hours away from my village on a very bumpy, insane road. But outside of my school, there are women wearing colorful saris walking with their cows. There are farmers out in the fields with their children running barefoot beside them. I still laugh to myself that I'm here. I took a walk with Raji and her son, Nikil, through the fields to visit her husband, who is a very friendly banana farmer.


I just kept laughing. How did I get here?! It's so amazing and SO funny!

Yesterday was my first festival. Once a year, India gives puja (worship) and thanks for all of their material stuff. They decorate their tractors, their cars, their bikes, their farm tools and their school books, etc. with banana leaves and flowers. They give thanks for all their bounty that these things provide, and ask a blessing for more of their good fortune.



I'm reading a book called "India Untouched" by Abraham George (the founder of the school I work for). He says to be careful not to romanticize such places as this. He then gives disturbing details about rural life... which is why educating the village's "untouchable" children is so crucial in stopping the horrible poverty cycle of rural India. And it's working at Shanti Bhavan. It really really is.

So many little moments already that are all mine...already too many to share with you, and I've just begun. I have my own room, and am grateful to come back to it as my haven after all of the new things I'm learning and doing. I get so shy. It's difficult for me to be stared at everywhere I go. Plus, I'm a natural starr here because of my last name. They've all read the books and seen the Harry Potter movies. Every time I see a child they say, "Good morning, Miss Emilypotter!" as if it's one word. "Miss Emilypotter, are you really Harry Potter's second cousin?" (Sometimes I just get bored with saying no, so…) "Do you know magic?" (And yes, is definitely the answer to that question.)



I teach art to 145 children, ages preschool to 8th grade. I'm an art teacher!! Starting next week I'll be teaching dance to the older children every evening after dinner, and basic guitar to a handful of children. They also would like me to teach a "values" class to the older girls... similar to the church's young women's program. YES! My goodness…how did I manage all of this? I'm sometimes still in shock that I'm here.

The children at the school (Shanti Bhavan) all speak incredible English. I am learning Hindi in the second grade class, which I'm extremely excited about. All children speak at least four- five languages each with great ease. Hindi, English, Kannada, Telegu, and Tamil. Sigh.


The food is incredible. Different kinds of curry and rice every day. I ate off a banana leaf last week for the first time. As a leftie, I've learned to eat with my right hand! The water is clean and fresh from a deep well on the campus.




The Foundation is very supportive of my film documentary. I met Dr. George my first day here, who happened to be here from the States just that morning, and was leaving later that day. I interviewed him on film to my good fortune, and he welcomed me to use the journalism institute's film equipment. I am SO hooked up! They asked if they could use the film for their own fundraising purposes when I was through. That was exactly what I wanted them to say!

So it looks like I was right about the internet access… about once or twice a month. I'm embracing it, actually. It makes it so that I feel very very present out at the school.


Peggy and Gary Lambert have become my surrogate parents. They are humanitarian missionaries who come out to the school three days a week. They are the only other Americans I have contact with. They invited me to stay at their home this weekend in Bangalore (where I am now). They've been here a year, and have been showing me so many splendors of the city today! I'm so grateful to them. They are so culturally sensitive, which is important to me. They don't want to change anything about India. They don't want to Americanize this place. They just want to give service where they are needed. Their respect and love for India and its people comes through in every moment I spend with them. They are incredible role models for me in that way.

So much more to say... my goodness...

Be well! Emily