27th January
Each morning I rise at 6.00am at the behest of my iPhone alarm and prepare for the day. I listen to the ABC Melbourne Radio streaming most nights when I wake during the night. (I have unlimited data for a three month trial.) It is usually quite warm so I don't put too many clothes on. The brothers are rugged up in habits and jackets since the temperature may have dipped below 18C, cool for them.
I walk along the road for 200m to the convent of Villa St Joseph. Lately I have been harassed by a pack of dogs so I carry a stick. This keeps them at bay and gets my heart rate up for the day. The brothers say it makes me look like Gandhi but I tell them I would have to go on many hunger strikes to be even remotely like him.
Once I get to Villa I prop my stick outside, remove my shoes and sit quietly waiting for 7.00am Mass. There are up to 40 young women (aspirants to the religious life) arrayed in front of me in colourful scarves and saris. The six PDDM novices arrive in their light blue saris as well as their three aspirants, again in colourful garb. The novices take their vows on Sunday Feb 12th and the Aspirants become novices on Feb 8th. They have asked me to pray for them so I have their names in my diary and say a prayer for them whenever I open it, which is most days. I have also sent these names to mum to add to her list of prayees for the rosary.
Then the Villa sisters enter. They range from young women in fawn saris with morons trim to very old nuns in black habits, some on walking frames and some in wheel chairs.
Father is a priest from one of the local congregations, most of whom are running houses of formation for their congregations. The MSFS priests have invited me to a meal there and I may go this weekend.
After Mass, which is usually sung by both priest and religious, I walk back to the front gate with the Sisters of St Anne who run the local small hospital and clinic nearby. Several are still there from my last visit in 2013. The gateman on guard at the entrance of the school welcomes me with a smile. He has a solid hitting stick and he sometimes compares his substantial one with my puny one.
I have a cup of milk coffee with the Brothers while they have their breakfast and then go up to my first floor room to pack my backpack for the ride to the MSC house. My motor bike is a Star City 110cc and with my bulk it putters along nicely. I nearly got to 60km the other day (down hill).
Avoiding the numerous busses, trucks and multitudinous bikes, I ride through three small Hindu villages with people's houses very close to the road and village life very evident in all respects. I tried to set my camera to video hanging on my chest but my belly pointed the lens to the trees so I will try to mount it on the handle bars next time. Oh for some cable ties.
Breakfast is being served when I arrive, the brothers lining up for iddli, chapati or other cereal based cooked flat cakes, served with chutney and pepper water. They make me an omelette and toast some bread but I prefer their fare most mornings.
There are two lessons in the morning and I usually take the first 90 minutes until 10.30am.
So far I have seen improvement in their writing but it is gradual. I teach grammatical structure within the context of their writing.
Step 1: I give them stimulus material, usually accompanied with pictures displayed for them on a monitor. Recent topics include: Identity, Clothes, transport, their state, language, festivals and more. Then they write for 40 minutes addressing a question I pose on the topic. This morning's topic is India, My Country, since yesterday we celebrated both Indian Republic Day and Australia Day.
I will do a separate Blog on this event.
Step 2: In the second session of the day I correct their work, rewriting most of it into correct grammatical structure. I ask them to write on every second line allowing me space to rewrite for them. This is tiring work for 21 students every day but I believe they need to see their ideas moulded into proper form.
After a lunch, usually of rice, curry and vegetables we have a rest. I usually go back to the monastery or go shopping in Bogadi or Mysore.
Step 3: They have a study in the afternoon during which they rewrite what I have written into their own books. This makes them confront the correct structures in a functional way.
They do gardening and play cricket every day and then "take bath" which comprises of a splash with a dipper jug from a bucket of warm water.
Step 4: I usually return to the school for evening study at 6.30 during which time they read to me their twice crafted written efforts. We discuss the reasons for the corrections I have made and they make a list of these issues in their books along with the corrections of spelling words written out five times.
We finish with prayers and supper at 8.00pm to end a long day. I ride back to my accommodation in the dark and "take bath" myself before an early to bed in my sheet and mosquito net.
I like my day but look forward to the weekends so I can have some rest and explore the country side. Tomorrow Fr Prasad and I are heading south from Mysore into the country on our bikes to a local rural centre.
Each morning I rise at 6.00am at the behest of my iPhone alarm and prepare for the day. I listen to the ABC Melbourne Radio streaming most nights when I wake during the night. (I have unlimited data for a three month trial.) It is usually quite warm so I don't put too many clothes on. The brothers are rugged up in habits and jackets since the temperature may have dipped below 18C, cool for them.
I walk along the road for 200m to the convent of Villa St Joseph. Lately I have been harassed by a pack of dogs so I carry a stick. This keeps them at bay and gets my heart rate up for the day. The brothers say it makes me look like Gandhi but I tell them I would have to go on many hunger strikes to be even remotely like him.
Once I get to Villa I prop my stick outside, remove my shoes and sit quietly waiting for 7.00am Mass. There are up to 40 young women (aspirants to the religious life) arrayed in front of me in colourful scarves and saris. The six PDDM novices arrive in their light blue saris as well as their three aspirants, again in colourful garb. The novices take their vows on Sunday Feb 12th and the Aspirants become novices on Feb 8th. They have asked me to pray for them so I have their names in my diary and say a prayer for them whenever I open it, which is most days. I have also sent these names to mum to add to her list of prayees for the rosary.
Then the Villa sisters enter. They range from young women in fawn saris with morons trim to very old nuns in black habits, some on walking frames and some in wheel chairs.
Father is a priest from one of the local congregations, most of whom are running houses of formation for their congregations. The MSFS priests have invited me to a meal there and I may go this weekend.
After Mass, which is usually sung by both priest and religious, I walk back to the front gate with the Sisters of St Anne who run the local small hospital and clinic nearby. Several are still there from my last visit in 2013. The gateman on guard at the entrance of the school welcomes me with a smile. He has a solid hitting stick and he sometimes compares his substantial one with my puny one.
I have a cup of milk coffee with the Brothers while they have their breakfast and then go up to my first floor room to pack my backpack for the ride to the MSC house. My motor bike is a Star City 110cc and with my bulk it putters along nicely. I nearly got to 60km the other day (down hill).
Avoiding the numerous busses, trucks and multitudinous bikes, I ride through three small Hindu villages with people's houses very close to the road and village life very evident in all respects. I tried to set my camera to video hanging on my chest but my belly pointed the lens to the trees so I will try to mount it on the handle bars next time. Oh for some cable ties.
Breakfast is being served when I arrive, the brothers lining up for iddli, chapati or other cereal based cooked flat cakes, served with chutney and pepper water. They make me an omelette and toast some bread but I prefer their fare most mornings.
There are two lessons in the morning and I usually take the first 90 minutes until 10.30am.
So far I have seen improvement in their writing but it is gradual. I teach grammatical structure within the context of their writing.
Step 1: I give them stimulus material, usually accompanied with pictures displayed for them on a monitor. Recent topics include: Identity, Clothes, transport, their state, language, festivals and more. Then they write for 40 minutes addressing a question I pose on the topic. This morning's topic is India, My Country, since yesterday we celebrated both Indian Republic Day and Australia Day.
I will do a separate Blog on this event.
Step 2: In the second session of the day I correct their work, rewriting most of it into correct grammatical structure. I ask them to write on every second line allowing me space to rewrite for them. This is tiring work for 21 students every day but I believe they need to see their ideas moulded into proper form.
After a lunch, usually of rice, curry and vegetables we have a rest. I usually go back to the monastery or go shopping in Bogadi or Mysore.
Step 3: They have a study in the afternoon during which they rewrite what I have written into their own books. This makes them confront the correct structures in a functional way.
They do gardening and play cricket every day and then "take bath" which comprises of a splash with a dipper jug from a bucket of warm water.
Step 4: I usually return to the school for evening study at 6.30 during which time they read to me their twice crafted written efforts. We discuss the reasons for the corrections I have made and they make a list of these issues in their books along with the corrections of spelling words written out five times.
We finish with prayers and supper at 8.00pm to end a long day. I ride back to my accommodation in the dark and "take bath" myself before an early to bed in my sheet and mosquito net.
I like my day but look forward to the weekends so I can have some rest and explore the country side. Tomorrow Fr Prasad and I are heading south from Mysore into the country on our bikes to a local rural centre.
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