In at the deep end

This morning I'm taken to the facility I'm going to be working at to meet the staff, there's only one there and after a brief chat the students started to arrive, without further ado it's suggested that I start right away! The kids are from 14 to 20 year old and have varying degrees of English ability, but in for a penny in for a pound, so I have to get started sometime and now is as good a time as any! The group of ten are mixed and we end up getting on like a house on fire, it's good to here all their reasons for wanting to improve their English, but the one I liked is a young lady who tells me she wants to be independent as opposed to being a lawyer, doctor or something else. In view of the society rules here in respect of women's roles I admire her spirit!

The facility in which I'm placed is enormous and palatial, with an arts complex, music and drama workshops and a fully funtional I.T. department in which we're based. It even has free coffee outside the door of the class, so when I compare my placement with the ladies (who're working in almost primitive conditions within the slum areas) I've got the pick of the bunch.

The very noticeable aspect of the class is the respect in which anyone in authority is held, I'm finding this strange to deal with as this level of return from them is not the norm in my world, but it is endearing to be addressed to so politely and I'm mindful of their culture so I need to keep some level of formality when I'd normally kick the formality into touch.

I need to structure some learning in accordance with their syllabus, but as yet don't have that as the co-ordinator for their course wasn't here this morning and it truly was sink or swim! I'm sure it will work out okay and am looking forward to spending the next 8 weeks in their company and helping them express themselves, as they are really very genuine and interesting people.

Back to base in the afternoon for "Hindi lessons" (compulsory), but a help in any event. Then the group were broken up into teams and sent out to carry out tasks in the local market and surrounds. Shanta and I were set the task of finding out the cost and details of inclusions in hiring a car & driver for a trip to Agra/Jaipur, negotiate for discounts and then hire a rickshaw taxi back to base. I must admit that I didn't do the haggling bit with the poor guy who picked us up and took us home as the fare for his journey was only 20 rupees and to take 10 off of that would have been an act of daylight robbery! Maybe I'm slipping since I left Chevron and SCM!