One thing that I have been very satisfied with in India is the food. I came to India thinking I would lose some weight or get sick from the different spices, but I was wrong. If anything, I have gained a few pounds. LOL We had a little bit of free time one afternoon so Stephanie and I signed up for a local five course meal cooking class. When and where else would we learn how to make real indian cuisine from a local chef. We requested to learn some of India’s basic popular recipes that we could easily make at home. We went to the cooking school TasteSutra in Delhi. TasteSutra was a very cute and colorful cooking school located upstairs of an open market area. Anchal, was our host and chef. She was raised in the cooking school area and found her passion for cooking and teaching others. She told us that the recipes she shared were healthier than the ones we would find in restaurants because less butter, and ghee (oil) are used. We spent some time learning some interesting Indian cooking techniques and about the many spices that can be used in Indian dishes. One thing that I learned today is that curry is not a spice in itself. Curry is considered the sauce and is created by many spices that create curry as we know it. Our cute cooking schoolWe're ready to make some delicious dishes.I fell in love with a Masala box. This masala box is used to store spices that are frequently used. I have a slight fascination for small gadgets and kitchen items, so this masala box was right up my alley. After the course, Anchal was kind enough to take us to the open market where we purchased an inexpensive one. The table was beautifully decorated with disposable leaf plates.These plates were more commonly used in the past, but added an authentic Indian feel to the table. We ate family style with the other classmates who were from a Michigan College and interning at our host school. The food was not too spicy and was the perfect blend of ingredients. I’m not a chef critic or even know how to describe food, so I’ll just say it was excellent and we did a great job! I successfully made ChapatisReady to eat
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When I found out where my host school was going to be, I immediately started to research the community and school. I found out the city of Noida is considered to be a systematically planned city under the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) and was developed in 1976 for the overflow of Delhi’s population. I didn't anticipate there being much to see or do in Noida because it seemed to be a very industrialized community. To my surprise ir was an urban city, but had very little to do besides go to the malls. When we arrived, we were greeted at the Delhi airport by my host Mala and her husband Bijay. My immediate reaction was delight to have finally met my host teacher after communicating via email for about 1 ½ months in preparation for the trip. Mala was very helpful in getting us situated in our hotel and providing us with information regarding the school, transportation to and from school, and any questions we had. She is very soft spoken and was helpful in helping us understand the indian culture. Mala is an alumni of the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) and that is how she became involved in being our host teacher and get us connected with her school. Mala has taught in all grade levels, but currently teaches English Language Arts to middle school students. Waiting for the bus in the morning with Mala.First morning on the bus with MalaShiv Nadar School Shiv Nadar is a private 1st-11th grade school that has approximately 1,000 students, The students come from different parts of the city that make up 46 bus routes. They opened in 2012 and are expecting to have their first 12th grade class in 2018. Stephanie and I were picked up at our hotel every morning by Bijay and taken to their apartment complex where we would meet Mala and ride the bus. Teachers at Shiv Nadar were able to ride the school bus to and from work to avoid traffic congestion and parking issues. We rode the school bus every morning with Mala which provided us with the opportunity to meet teachers and students. In the afternoon we mostly rode a separate bus that took a route straight to our hotel. The first two days were spent learning about all the wonderful programs offered at the school. The programs that we observed were quite remarkable. The way they explained the program to me was interesting. There are four baskets of electives that the students can choose from. The idea of the baskets starts with primary grades being exposed to all the baskets but when they go into 6th grade they must select one basket that they would like to focus on more in depth. The four baskets are Theatre, Arts and Crafts, Music, and Dance, We observed students in these “basket” classes learning mudras (hand gestures), dancing to hindi music, practicing for a play in theater class, and several art classes like drawing, sculpting, and the recycling center. Students at Shiv Nadar were very happy and seemed to enjoy being at school. Every western culture game you could think about, they had. There was even a rock climbing wall in their gym, a gymnastics room with beams, and an underground pool. Every morning over the school intercom, the school started with a 2 minute mediation. During this meditation, the principal, in a very soft voice, led them through some deep breathing and relaxing thoughts. After the meditation, then students of all grades shared some inspiring quotes. The morning greetings by students were wonderful. Students would greet us with a “Good Morning Ma’am”. It was nice to see the respect for teachers and adults on campus. During my observations in the academic classes, I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of the teaching strategies we use in the U.S. were being implemented in India. Shiv Nadar takes pride in being a progressive school and taking a whole child approach. I was able to observe, co-teach, and teach in a 3rd grade EVS (Environmental Science) class. In the classroom the student tables were set up in groups and I found students to be much more outspoken than I had expected. Students worked on projects and reports primarily at home and presented them in front of the class. Because this is a private, almost elite school, there is a lot of parental support and resources available at home. The teachers were very welcoming in their classrooms and interested in connecting with our classes to work on global projects. Overall, I feel that this experience has allowed me to get a glimpse of what private schools are like in India. I saw many commonalities in the methods of instruction, student/teacher interactions, and ideas that will support the 21st century student. I was very impressed at all that Shiv Nadar has to offer its students. Students working together on Endangered SpeciesDuring an activity, the students in this group were working on figuring out the answer together.On our last day in Bangalore, we went to the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. The word Lalbagh means the red garden in English. This garden was initially commissioned by the British as much of India was back in the day. 80% of the trees in Bangalore are exotic and are brought in from many sub continents. At the main entrance of the garden is a huge granite rock that has a temple at the top. The rock is 2 billion years old and many people come to meditate, walk around, and do exercise here. The temple was built to mark the extension of Bangalore. Bangalore is known as the “city of flowering trees that have fragrant flowers”. These types of flowers are strung and used by many hindus for religious ceremonies. We were lead by a guide who was very knowledgeable of the gardens and its long history. He knew a lot of information on the different types of plants and trees that could be found in the garden. I did not remain with the guide the whole time since an overwhelming amount of time was spent talking about trees, its origin, and many other facts that a tree enthusiast would enjoy. A few of us were allowed to branch off and explore the garden on our own. We walked to the opposite side of the garden where we found a large lake and many other pretty sites. This is the most sacred tree. It's the same type of tree that Buddha got his enlightenment.The temple at the top of the hill overlooking the city of Bangalore.A group of us made it to the top!I thought I knew what a monsoon was by my last experience. I was wrong. On my way home from school one afternoon it was pouring rain. The streets have no sewer systems so the roads flood easily. People carry on with their daily activities without giving it a second thought. I have to admit in America we are pretty spoiled. If we had a storm coming we all prepare and stay indoors or get things done before the storm arrives. That is not the case here in India. The outdoor shops remain open, the people walk through the flooded streets, and the traffic congestion just increases dramatically. Because of the roads being flooded, the bus was at a standstill for a while in the middle of an intersection so we observed these differences. If you've never been to India, there are no streetlights and cars are going in every direction, cows and dogs are trying to move to new locations, and pedestrians do not have the right of way. There is constant honking and impatience even though cars have no place to move. It can be very scary at times watching people attempt to cross the street. However, many people are not phased by it and just dodge their way across the street. I often joked with Stephanie, my teacher partner, that I should have brought Depends with me because of the anxiety this caused me. After this experience and being a passenger in vehicles, I have gained a new respect for our traffic system and crosswalks.
One of our host in Bangalore, Mitila, was gracious enough to take us to Commercial Street in Bangalore to do a little shopping for a sari. A sari is a traditionally worn indian dress that is draped around the body. I have worn sari’s before, but never realized the amount of work that goes into having a sari made. When we arrived on Commercial Street, our group was divided into two for the sake of maximizing our time. One group went to the fabric shop and the others started with shopping for gifts. I was part of the first group that went to purchase my fabric. When we entered the store we noticed the large amount of women in search of the perfect fabric. There was every color, design, sparkly fabric you can imagine. The price range was from 300-300,000 rupees based on the type of fabric and the intricate designs. People also come here to purchase fabric for various types of indian outfits. We were asked to sit down by a worker who then started to bring out a variety of fabrics. With this many colors to choose from it was quite difficult. It was pretty overwhelming to be honest. I had an idea of the color I wanted so it was a little easier for me than for some of the others in our group who have never worn a sari. The person helping us brought out an array of fabrics and asked us which ones we liked most. If we didn’t like any of those, she brought out more. Soon we had mounds of fabric that needed to be folded and reshelved. There was someone working on the ground folding all of these fabrics that we did not like. Once we selected a fabric a woman tied a string belt around our waist to help put the fabric on in a way to see how it would look. There is a process of what they call “tying” a sari correctly. Once we selected our fabrics we then headed to a shop to purchase a kurta which is a long blouse used over long pants. During this time we switched with the shopping groups and they went to get a fabric of their liking. We stopped at a shop recommended by Mitila to purchase kurtas for our school visits. When we left the kurta shop there was a downpouring of rain. It came down hard and fast. Which caused flooding in the streets. We tried to remain under shelter as long as possible, but it was not slowing down. Given that it is monsoon season and it may not end for a while, we were led by our host Mitila to the sari tailor shop. There we would be fitted for a top for the sari. As we walked to the tailor shop we had to walk on the street since this particular marketplace had no sidewalks. We were all walking in the street dodging cars, walking over puddles and even walking through a few flooded areas. All I could think about is the dirtiness of the water flooding in the streets. Based on my experience seeing cow poop and the large amounts of trash in the streets, I was praying that I did not have any cuts on my feet that could possibly get infected. We arrived at the tailor shop which was a very small shop we barely fit in. Eleven of us stood in this confined space, soaking wet, waiting to each be measured for our tops. We assumed that we were done after this process, but little did we know we still had to go to another location to get the skirt that goes under the sari fabric. By this time the rain had subsided, but we were still wet and uncomfortable. At the next location, we were asked to take off our shoes to enter the store to avoid getting their floor wet. That was a little strange to us, but we had to do as told if this sari excursion was ever going to end. We each purchased our skirts which were fabric with a drawstring to tighten around our waist. This whole process took us several hours and it was a relief to go home and get into some dry clothes. It was definitely an adventure. Our tops will be brought to us in Delhi by one of the host teachers and we will wear the saris for our last dinner together as a group. I will add be adding pictures of us wearing our saris soon. Stay tuned! The fabric storeIn the rain in Bangalore |
My name is Sharon Essen and I am an elementary school teacher in Bakersfield, California. I have been teaching for 13 years and have taught special education 4-5th grade and general education 3rd grade. I am a fellow of the Teachers for Global Classrooms program. My interests are spending time with family, traveling, photography. |