We are essentially Avatars but instead of travelling light years away to Pandora, we have landed in the energy zapped city of Bangalore. The broken pavements and constant city blackouts brings a stark contrast to the joy of teaching here.
Luckily, we've learned to put our expectations aside and let the city's natural eb and flow of things settle in our minds. The initial shock of the chaotic road drivers was desensitized within a few days. (Motorbikes are like wolf packs and when they sense fear, they will use their turbo on you. For first time visitors to Bangalore, be brave and use your hand to stop traffic if ever in doubt). Open smells are as common as perfume on the streets of Paris. Life is different here.
Like Jake Sully, who was left to figure out his survival through the first night in Pandora, we have figured out our first month in Bangalore. Just to describe our circumstances a little further, one of us is white and the other one of us looks like a Nepalese tour guide. Being musicians, it was easy for the Nepalese-looking Avatar to switch on a local accent which has enabled us to hold our money in our pockets longer when seeking rickshaw rides around the city (Never pay more than Rs. 50 even for a 20 minute ride!). Bangalore, I have learned means “Barter-galore” in English.
At the end of the movie, Jack Sully must convince the natives or Na'vi's to believe in the help he can provide. Unlike Jack, we did not wait for the end of our Bangalore sojourn to start our epic battle in reforming the children's fundamental understanding of music. Our workshops are classroom based, enriched with games, aural listening drills, and the fundaments of music theory. We must adjust to the hybrid language of In-glish: rounder "r" sounds and replacing "t" with "d". Attendance is taken at every workshop and the natives receive homework. Evaluating them means self-evaluation.
We appologize to the other Avatars (in Mumbai and Delhi) for not blogging sooner. We live in a convent room which means ascetic living arrangements: our room is 8x7 and consists of two twin-sized beds, a small night table between the two of us, a metal wardrobe, and a fan that hangs above the room. No living room, kitchen, courtyard, or corridor but we are lucky to have a western toilet and shower. We have made a small network of host families who have generously welcomed us to their homes. The Navi'is teach us about their way of life, with an emphasis on music and cuisine.
The night is young but we must remain loyal to our 9pm curfew.
Over and Out,
Sylvia
No comments:
Post a Comment