I intended to finish this blog off as soon as I arrived home, but somehow a million other things took priority and I never got around to it. But leaving stuff incomplete annoys me and so I feel like I really must write a bit about my last week in Chennai and, of course, our holiday (there were some hilarious moments that just cannot be forgotten!) It all seems like a lifetime ago now that I am back. To think that this time last month I was in India is...bizzare. But anyway, here goes.
Our last week was possibly the most exhausting week I have ever had, what with the huge amount of work and the stress of saying so many goodbyes. We had our last Sunday at the Powerhouse church and they gave us the chance to share a little about what we had been doing and then prayed for us. It was a good church for us while we were there and we made some great friends, who we have been able to keep in contact with thanks to the wonderful thing called Facebook! Man, I still automatically write about 'we' all the time- my joint identity with Sabrina and Helen still hasn't dissolved!
All three of us were getting pretty irritable for the last few days. Every night I was up until the early hours of the morning cutting out craft activities, making photo collages and all other manner of tedious activities. And then it was up again at 6am for work as usual! It wasn't good. On top of that there were so many holiday details to worry about- strikes, baggage allowances, cancellations. I know I wasn't a very nice person to live with that week!
But, having said that, it was also one of the best weeks. We went with all of the Jacob's Well girls to MGM Dizzee World, a fairly good theme park. And Dizzee World was a very appropriate name! Every single ride seemed to be designed to make you throw up, and there was certainly a lot of sick flying around. Yum. The theme park even had a 'Water World' section, complete with swimming pool and flumes. But of course none of the girls owned a swimming costume, and it wouldn't be appropriate to wear one anyway, so we all jumped in fully clothed. There was even someone swimming in a sari (and she STILL looked immaculte afterwards- how?!) It was such a fantastic day. And not a single queue in sight!
We gave the Balwadi group their casette player. Check out the photo of them and see how overjoyed they looked at recieveing it! The kids were all dancing away to the music on our last day there, but it was hard to see them because the cook had run out of gas and so had lit an open fire on the floor that was gradually filling the room with smoke. It was harder saying goodbye to them than I thought it would be. They are too young to really understand, but I guess it is beacause I know I will probably never see them again. I have no idea what their lives will be like, if they will even have a chance to grow up. You loose contact forever.
The Fun Clubs both finished with parties, complete with the favourite chocolate game. The leaders at Vyasarpadi have kept in touch to let us know how the kids are doing and what is happening in the church which is really nice. I don't think I really appreciated the importance of what we were doing there until we had to leave. It seems like a small thing- running some games for kids for an hour- but actually it means a lot to them. It was difficult to explain to them why we had to leave and that we don't know if or when we are going back. But they are so versatile. In a couple of weeks the next team will be there and it will all start again!
Saying goodbye to the Jacob's Well group was by far the worst thing ever. We went in on our last day and the girls were just all so subdued. We tried to play games, but it was like there was a black cloud hanging over the room. We were all anticipating saying our goodbyes! We gave them each a Tamil-English Dictionary and then we were so touched to find out that they had organised, entirely of their own initiative, to put together a little box of gifts for each of us. It seems like a little thing, but they even made sure that we each had a box that was our favourite colour. I am not usually the teary kind of person, but I was in floods of tears that afternoon. Especially saying goodbye to two of the girls I had taught right from the start- one of whom was Sathya who was so difficult to begin with. We all became so close to the girls.
Our last afternoon at the office had the potential to be equally miserable, but we actually had a really good time. Played some games, had a cake fight (preceded by Becky telling us that 'from now on we are going to eat our cakes and not put them on people's faces'. Whatever!) We thought we would have some fun before we left and so went in early on our last morning to cover the office in 500 post-it notes with stupid messages written on them. You should have seen the faces! Hearing what the staff had to say about the work we had done over the previous months was really encouraging and it was so good to be able to look back and feel like I had really given it my all. I think perhpas more than previous teams we became quite involved in every aspect of the work, which was great but made saying goodbye even harder! It was too painful.
And then that was it. It was all over. We were pushing our way through the crowds at the station, leaving Chennai after spending 5 months of our lives living and breathing the communities there. When you leave to do something like we did in Chennai, you don't even consider what leaving will be like. All you think of is going home! And then suddenly it is gone and you're on your way back. It was so good that we had a holiday first, before we got thrown back into life over here, because I know that for me, sitting on that train leaving Chennai, my heart and head were still very much caught up in what I had been doing there and I was not at all ready to come home. If I had been offered another month there I would have jumped at the chance! Oh yeah, and some guy managed to carry all 40kg of my two bags ON HIS HEAD! Insane.
More than anything, there was just such a sense of thankfulness as we left. For everything we had experienced, all that we had learnt, for our protection and safety, for the amazing people we had the priviledge of working with. I have so much!
India is a place that you love and hate. It is the best and the worst of everyting. Oh, that is so true!
I am being summoned to play Balderdash, so I guess I will continue about the holiday at a later date...
The photo montage that we made for the Oasis Chennai staff as a parting gift. Many sleepless nights were spent on this!
Our last Vyasarpadi fun club. Who needs games when you have balloons?!
Super-cute Balwadi girl (Ninthiya) dancing away to the music of the new cassette player!
Us with Vijay post-cake fight.
One of my favourite dinners: white rice, samba and fish fry. Delicious!
At MGM Dizzee World- Devika taking centre stage as always.
Our leaving party at the office. We were playing some ridiculously frustrating dice game that I just didn't get.
The Balwadi teachers with their cassette player...and don't they look thrilled!
The office after an honest morning's work covering it with post-it notes (this is just a small section of the total masterpiece!)