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First Impression, February 2008
Ms. Karelia Wilenius
Jodhpur
I arrived in Jodhpur on 14th of February after travelling three days by train all the way from Mumbai to Goa (just to get my dog Shila from there) and back, then via Ahmedabad to Jodhpur. On these days I had already seen Indian cities full of rubbish, stray dogs, poverty and misery, but also noticed that eventually everything goes just fine and people are helping me.
The sun was burning hot in the “Blue city”. Warm was also the welcoming in Durag Niwas Guest House: I got a bindi on my forehead (third eye). It consisted of red colour powder and a rice grain. Both me and my dog were given garlands of orange marigolds. When there was a birthday party on that day everybody was invited and even my dog got her piece from a cake.
I met the Jodhpur girls during the next days. At arts and crafts class they were silently concentrating on their work at hands. One of the girls tied my wrist with a bracelet which I want to see as a symbolic ritual showing acceptance and belonging to the group. They also gave a stylish collar to Shila the dog, one that an Indian dog must have. At dance lesson they asked me to join their beautiful dance (which wasn’t so graceful anymore when I was in…). It was a strong experience to dance together with them, just speaking with eyes and movements. I sat on the floor surrounded by the girls and felt that some things really are universal – smile, laugh, humour and feelings showing on faces. The smallest girl said that she liked me and I was her friend now. She held my hand when we climbed up to the roof terrace. I put her scarf better and she put mine. It’s amazing that you can have a connection without a language in common! I wonder how much smiling there is even though they are untouchables and have had hard life experiences. I wish to learn to smile (more) while staying here.
Setrawa
After a few days spent in Jodhpur it was time to move on to the actual destination, Setrawa. The landscape was stark desert with low bushes and trees looking like monkey bread trees. This combined with only a few sandy roads and simple village life gave me a feeling of being in a developing country. Sambhali school was like a tiny village school somewhere in Africa, a colourful desert flower. I was surprised that the school felt like a real school (even though more cheerful and cosy than schools normally are) and Karine and Ellie like true teachers. I am used to simple life in Finland at summer cottage so I knew that I would enjoy my time here.
Because of the dog I've got a separate room just next to the school building. To my surprise Karine and Ellie, two magicians and miracle-workers, decorated and turned the room into something else in a moment. When I went to bed it was all so quiet. Only crickets were singing and dogs barking. In the middle of night I woke up to the sounds of loud music and announcements when in the daytime peaceful Setrawa woke up from a deep sleep.
The older girls are somehow different from the girls in Jodhpur. The main difference is of course that they are not untouchables but middle-class. They are smiling and nice but still quite calm keeping a little distance. I am impressed how well the small children at the 11:00 am class remember English words. The younger girls at the 4:00 pm class don’t seem to be very good at concentrating and they loose their attention easily although the patient teacher tries her best. In addition they are perfectionists asking for a rubber and erasing all the time. On the other hand they are active and shout answers loudly in a choir. I wish we had that enthusiasm in our schools too.
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