Dear reader,
It is late evening in Mumbai, and I am sitting on our balcony thinking about the last 2 days. This crazy city with all it's contrasts: the rich and poor and slums and palaces. The last 2 days has been Mumbai in a nutshell for me. Yesterday, I spent most of the day in the slum - remember, with the kids and our small library? Our office is inside the slum with small brick houses all around. The classes meet in the upper floor, in a small room, where the roof is made of corrugated iron and the ceiling is looow. With almost 40 degrees outside (and of course no AC!) you can image.... it's like an oven, really:-) A small fan from the seventies does it best to push the hot air around in the room.
Well, as usual, I climbed up the narrow staircase.. And what a sight: an ocean of kids got on their feet and screamed: "Good morning teacher!" Oh Shock! You see, on normal days there are around 14 kids in the class, and then it is quite crowded in the room. BUT, because it is summer holiday (and the regular school is closed) the class had magically grown to over 30 kids! They all had a friend, or a sibling or a neighbor - who reeeeeally wanted to join - so pleeeaaase, could they come too?! Well, I just could not send them away, could I?
So, there we were! After 2 intense, interesting and hilarious hours, I was the color of a tomato and as sweaty as /¤//&%¤, but they would like to go on, and were thanking and smiling and giggling, and assuring me again and again and again that they would be back next week. Would I? Well, of course I will:-)
And today? What did I do? Well, I started my day with some writing and then went to do yoga. After, I had lunch with a friend, and then I was off to our club. My family joined me in the afternoon after school/work, and we spent the whole afternoon there: spread out on the sunbeds under the palms - until sunset.
So, do you see what I mean, dear reader? The expat days in Mumbai can be just as contrasted as the city itself. Anything but boring!
Good night from Mumbai!
It is late evening in Mumbai, and I am sitting on our balcony thinking about the last 2 days. This crazy city with all it's contrasts: the rich and poor and slums and palaces. The last 2 days has been Mumbai in a nutshell for me. Yesterday, I spent most of the day in the slum - remember, with the kids and our small library? Our office is inside the slum with small brick houses all around. The classes meet in the upper floor, in a small room, where the roof is made of corrugated iron and the ceiling is looow. With almost 40 degrees outside (and of course no AC!) you can image.... it's like an oven, really:-) A small fan from the seventies does it best to push the hot air around in the room.
Well, as usual, I climbed up the narrow staircase.. And what a sight: an ocean of kids got on their feet and screamed: "Good morning teacher!" Oh Shock! You see, on normal days there are around 14 kids in the class, and then it is quite crowded in the room. BUT, because it is summer holiday (and the regular school is closed) the class had magically grown to over 30 kids! They all had a friend, or a sibling or a neighbor - who reeeeeally wanted to join - so pleeeaaase, could they come too?! Well, I just could not send them away, could I?
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| Some of the kids in the class room, and a veeeery small fan. |
And today? What did I do? Well, I started my day with some writing and then went to do yoga. After, I had lunch with a friend, and then I was off to our club. My family joined me in the afternoon after school/work, and we spent the whole afternoon there: spread out on the sunbeds under the palms - until sunset.
So, do you see what I mean, dear reader? The expat days in Mumbai can be just as contrasted as the city itself. Anything but boring!
Good night from Mumbai!
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