New Year in India

Every year, when it turns January again, I always feel it kind of takes me off guard. Suddenly, it's a new year and time to reflect backwards and ahead. 2006 was in many ways a very good year for me. I finished my IB with a good result, I had a great Summer, but most important of course have been the 5 months I have now spend in India. From the very confused and overwhelming beginning to now, where I really feel comfortable and home. I have a bit less than 2 months left in this country and Fabindia School and although it is quite a considerable amount of time, I am sure it will pass within a blink of an eye.
The two weeks before the Winter break started, were extremely busy for Sanna, Airiin and I. First, the trustees (those important people, either Americans or Indians who provide the fundings for the school) came to visit the college and I helped organizing a little show for them or function as they call it here. There were Indian dances and then I had written a school song on the melody "Bella Ciao" (I'm sure Johanna will know this one) with lyrics like "In our school, we speak English, so when we grow up, we can do a lot of things" and "We are learning, about the world, we have science and mathematics too" and finally "We are happy, to be here, because the best school, is Fabindia School". Not very brilliant, but the trustees loved it and thought it was a great idea with such a school song and now principal-ma'ams wants the choir to sing it every Saturday, so the whole school will learn it, hihi.
The three of us also had a chance to dine with the trustees and there were some really powerful and great people there, who were very interesting to talk to. It made me realize that there are some strong forces behind the school and that's very encouraging. Especially one man, from Cambodia and the US (double citizenship) who had survived the genocide during Pol Pot in Cambodia and who was now travelling around the world, made a very deep impression on me.
After the trustees had left, we started organizing a Christmas Play with the students from class 1 to 4. This was not so easy as we had thought, first of all because none of the students new the story of the birth of Jesus in detail, and secondly because we had a bit less than 2 weeks to put everything up. We managed though, right on time, but only because we had all the hostel children as actors and could therefor practice with them in the evenings also. A few days up to the performance on the 23rd we were all very stressed out, but eventually the show was great, the children said all their lines the right places, we had gotten costumes and even hay for the crypt. Along with the Christmas Play I had taught the choir 3 Christmas songs (Jingle Bells, War is Over and Long Time Ago in Bethlehem) which they sang when the play was over. It felt great to do some Christmas things with them and all the students really seemed to enjoy the programme!
Christmas Eve was a very enjoyable evening for me and the girls. We had vastly decorated our house with Christmas decorations, some made by students in the school, some we had made ourselves from the things our families had been sending. We had ordered special food from a restaurant and bought each other presents. It was all the good things of Christmas, but without the commercialized stress, pressure and over consumption.
My birthday on the 26th December (and yes, I turned 20!) went even better. From morning till evening Airiin and Sanna presented me with in total 20 small surprises, gifts, letters, cakes, pictures and the like, which made it into one of the best birthdays I've had. They had even managed to get a bottle of red wine for the diner! (but don't tell anyone, hehe)
The past 5 days, we have been in Udaipur again, simply enjoying ourselves. On New Years Eve when 2007 dawned, there were a few rockets that we enjoyed from a roof top, but they finished already at 00.15, so I wouldnt call it a wild night, hehe.
I found out that the warm hospitality is not only found in smaller towns like Bali. I went into a small shop to buy some post cards and the woman who owned the shop was eating some food. She immediate invited me to share the food with her, asked her husband to bring me chai, showed me her little son and told me about her life. When I left, she gave me an extra post card "Because you are my friend", she said. That's just how Indians are, at least most of them.
Oh, if you found my last entry about the military interesting, take a look at the comment I got from Johanna, a last year's volunteer. She experienced exactly the same attitude as I described.
I wish everybody, who is still making me happy by reading my blog, a very happy new year! Who knows what kind of surprises are hidding for us and will reveal themselves on the way... :)
Godt Nytår!!