The Ever-evolving Experiences of a soon-to-be-finished Fulbrighter
October 3, 2010
Wondering what the specific exploits of a Fulbrighter are? For you with the curiosity, I trust the following will 
satiate that interest.
Thursday, Sept 23
After popping in to visit students I taught a month ago, I met with students of mine from several years ago to share an article I wrote on one and a DVD of an interview I conducted with others.
Caught several auto-rickshaws to shop for local movies and kurtas
Argued with a auto-rickshaw driver who claimed I needed to pay Rs20 more, because he went further than expected
Bought a kurta
At home, I packed and prepared for my coming multi-city trip
8:15 pm, searched for an auto and headed to the Central Railway station
9:30 pm, found my name on side of train and boarded
10:30 departure, making up the bunk and sleeping as best as possible
Friday, Sept 24
6 am arrival, find the reserved taxi and take 45 minute ride to get to the Isha Yoga Center
9 am, meet with drama staff at Isha Home School for five days of consultation on building their program
Daily
9:30 am to about 9:30 pm, including:
1-3 hour meetings to discuss developing the foundation for an expanded drama curriculum
Demonstrations in Junior School (vertical age classes, 5-10), Middle School (11, 12 year olds) and 8th Standard
Observe drama teachers doing their work
Help with a Shakespeare monologue presentation
Speak at a morning assembly
Work with the Drama Cub
Listen to the musical presentation in the Temple
Take a dip in the Theertha Kund
Eat Lebanese snacks/food
Tuesday, Sept 28
6:30 pm, catch a taxi in the heavy rain to the railway station
Follow the lead of the taxi driver as he takes me to the correct platform
8:30 pm, ride, sleep fitfully and arise at 1:30 am for a 2:15 arrival in Madurai
2:15 am sit on the train as it waits, waits, waits
30 minutes later, arrive and meet American Consulate representative
Check into hotel Weds morning and try to sleep
Wednesday, Sept 29
Hang about the hotel to prepare for coming workshops
Take a hired car with American Consulate representative to St. Mary’s Secondary School
On this school holiday, meet with a group of 40 12th standard boys to conduct theatre workshop
Struggle, at first, with language differences, but build to an exciting end
30 minutes before end, asked to end so some boys can leave
Negotiate 15 more minutes
Back to the hotel for dinner
Hired car and driver takes me and another workshop leader to the famous Meenakshi Temple
Awed by size, color and life of temple
Home for computer work for Hawaii, then bed
Thursday, Sept 30
Quick breakfast
Morning workshop at America University
Technical problems (no power) in new building
Late start and when we decide to, power comes back on
Rousing workshop with philosophy students
Lunch at hotel with American Consulate staff
Afternoon trip to Fathima College to judge a poetry slam
Honored, offered gifts and I just keep score
Evening at the hotel with a short walk to a nearby store
Friday, Oct 1
Early morning to drive to rural college about an hour away
Driving along a shallow river, stopped by a huge mud pile
Back track, cross the river bed on a thin road
Drive along the other side, stopped by a huge mud pile
Driver finds alternative route
The college is clean, beautiful and tucked away
We ‘check-in’ to Faculty Gust Housing and have breakfast
30 minutes before my workshop, we walk to the huge auditorium I will be in
Workshop is schedule half an hour later than previously announced
At the ‘start’ of my workshop, a series of small speeches are made. Now my workshop is about 50 minutes shortened
5 minutes into starting, 20 plus more students walk in. Now there are nearly 70.
We stop, discuss this occurrence and 20 students are excused
The workshop goes well, though the students are more reserved
I exceed my time by about 20 minutes. Thank goodness its India
Back to the housing for lunch
Everyone leaves as I have a car waiting for me
3.5 hour drive to Thanjavur
Check into the Hotel arranged for me by ELTAI. I wonder the tightly packed streets of this small city
Exhausted, I order in and fall asleep
Saturday, Oct. 2
Car is to pick me up at 9:30 for a ten o’clock start
I am picked up at 10 o’clock
Everyone at the conference is awaiting my arrival
I am ushered into the hall ad they start
As the first words are spoken, I discover I am the keynote speaker. When previously asked about this conference, I was asked if I ‘could speak a few words for 10-15 minutes about creativity in the classroom.’ I am well-honored again.
A car takes me back to my hotel as the conference continues
The car picks me up two hours later
I arrive at the conference to discover they are about one hour behind schedule
They cancel the session before mine and sort-of, kind of tell me to start
Everyone waits as we go through three laptops to set me up
I start 15 minutes late
Large group, challenging workshop, but I get everyone up and working together, even with the shyness and giggles…of students and professors
We quickly board a college bus to drop everyone off to various places. It is on this ride that I discover that some of the participants have come a long distance because they were most interested in what my abstracts suggested.
Hotel, dinner and Hawaii work
Sunday, Oct. 3
A walk to the Big Temple for two hours of wandering about this 1000 year old temple which recently featured a festival with 1000 dancers (I missed that). People there liked walking up to me to ask, ‘You are from?” and then, ‘What do you think of this place?”
Blessed by an elephant (for Rs5)
Back to the hotel for lunch
Scheduled to be picked up at 2 pm, the car arrived at 2:30; the exact starting time of my presentation
When I arrived, there were people in the hall, technicians trying to set up a powerpoint and then the techies left. I waited for a while, then asked, what’s happening now? Someone said, “We are waiting for you.” So I held my workshop. People are warming up to the work here, and let themselves enjoy the process despite the obvious step out of their comfort zones.
After wrapping up, many people wanted both to take pictures with me and get my autograph (first time I was every asked for my autograph after a workshop!). A new twist on the ‘appreciate within appreciation’ (see previous blog).
Rain started. We got on the school bus. My host said he would meet me at the hotel, as he had to go to the railway station. Got off the bus with a bunch of students in the pouring rain, trying hard to avoid puddles. We waited under the eaves of a shop for 15 minutes, then the students guided me to the hotel, as I had no idea where I was. Ended up stepping in multiple puddles.
At 7:30, went to the lobby to meet my host. No one was there. My train was scheduled for 8:30. I was still on the waiting list. I didn’t know what coach or seat was mine. I waited for 20 minutes. I knew the train would only stop for 5 minutes in Thanjavur, and I needed to find out my seat number. I asked the hotel clerk. My host was already gone. Several people helped hail me an auto rickshaw. Fortunately, it took only 5 minutes to get to the railway station.
At the station, I am calling a friend in another city to help guide me. However, the computer system is down and no one knows what my seat will be. 8:10 and the train arrives at 8:25. I find my way to the platform, which is slick with rain.
Announcements state that the train will now arrive at 9. Still don’t know my seat, but at least know the coach I will be on. Train arrives. I get on the coach. We leave. I don’t know my seat. Ticket collector comes by, checks his forms and says, ‘You are confirmed. Seat 8.” I thought, what if I hadn’t been confirmed? What would he have done with me?
Sleep the night through on the train.
6:30 am arrival in Chennai. A friend of a friend meets me to guide me back home, even though I assured them I could catch a rickshaw on my own. But I appreciate the concern.
I will spend one day in Chennai before flying off north for some archaeological site visits.