Hard to believe that September is rolling along and that we're in week four of the school year already. Things are looking great. We have a very high-caliber group of students, several of whom are keeping our faculty on their toes by asking deep and thought-provoking questions. And we had a terrific turnout of caring, committed parents at our parent orientation, too. We are making good progress toward our goal of becoming a world-class school!
Our theme for this year is integrity, and we are pursuing that theme in a number of ways that I'll be blogging about over the coming months. Most recently, we've been looking at the idea of edges, and how exploring our edges is the primary way develop our integrity.
One of our teachers, Lisa K. Beck, got to visit her edge the other day when a TV crew showed up in her physics classroom to shoot her receiving the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Award! Turns out, if you are running a school in which students are encouraged to meaningfully explore their edges, the teachers have to walk their talk in that arena as well!
I encourage you to look at the video so you can see this little bit of edge-work for yourself.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Kochi
This thriving West Coast city is the final stop on our India expedition, which now, in near-retrospect, feels to have been a whirlwind tour. We have indeed explored more parts of this vast and diverse country in three-plus weeks than any other expedition we know about. We have also, it seems clear, seen much more of India than most Indians will ever see -- a humbling notion.
Before leaving, my research on India revealed that there are many "official" languages in this nation. (The number ranged from about 11 to 17 depending on source.) We availed to learn some Hindi before arriving here, which was quite challenging but helpful. It turns out that those many languages are street realities, and Hindi is not much used in the places we've most recently been. It is Tamil that carries the news across Puducherry, and Malayalam is what you hear here on the southwest coast. This is in stark contrast to my experiences across Latin America, where relatively subtle variants of Spanish are spoken across thousands of miles of turf. Another of India's unique features, I surmise, is that despite centuries of foreign domination, the local communities in some key ways managed to hold their own.
Kochi is a fishing and port town, historically, and it shows the influences of many traders and invaders. This has long been a spice export hub; Kochi has a notable Portugese historical presence, and there is an ancient synagoge here that we hope to see today. Reputedly Judaism arrived in Kochi before it arrived in Europe; the synagoge is located in a neighborhood universally referred to as Jew Town. The icon of the Kochi of today is a huge, spindly, hand-powered Ancient-Chinese-style fishing net in the foreground, with a vast container ship steaming into harbor in the background.
This town seems breezier than Puducherry, though that could just be the current weather. In any case, the heat and humidity seem better mitigated by an onshore prevailing wind than they were on the east side of the subcontinent. Yesterday we took a Keralan-style boat ride through some of the back-channels that comprise this extended estuary. Dozens of rivers flow out of the Western Ghat mountain range to form a vast network of small waterways lined with minimalistic homes, dugout canoes, fishing villages, and other people-powered enterprises. We saw a koir facility where palm fibers are woven into mats, shell-collecting and grinding operations for supplying some kind of paint industry, and -- most stark of all human-powered endeavors -- dredging, done by diving with a basket and bringing sand up to a dugout canoe, for sale to concrete manufacturers.
This seems a fitting end to our journey, paradoxical as are so many things Indian, as we are staying in a quite nice hotel (showers!) in a rather run-down neighborhood, in intense heat that is eased by the ocean breeze, and relaxed enough to take time to write but with a busy itinerary about to begin. The students seem to be managing the paradoxes, as they are surely all looking forward to home, yet working to stay receptive to the immediate. Without doubt, much of what is to be learned from this overwhelming endeavor will take time to manifest.
Again, as a welcome surge of coastal air sweeps this open-air Internet space, I once again feel deep gratitude for this awesome opportunity and all who made it possible.
Before leaving, my research on India revealed that there are many "official" languages in this nation. (The number ranged from about 11 to 17 depending on source.) We availed to learn some Hindi before arriving here, which was quite challenging but helpful. It turns out that those many languages are street realities, and Hindi is not much used in the places we've most recently been. It is Tamil that carries the news across Puducherry, and Malayalam is what you hear here on the southwest coast. This is in stark contrast to my experiences across Latin America, where relatively subtle variants of Spanish are spoken across thousands of miles of turf. Another of India's unique features, I surmise, is that despite centuries of foreign domination, the local communities in some key ways managed to hold their own.
Kochi is a fishing and port town, historically, and it shows the influences of many traders and invaders. This has long been a spice export hub; Kochi has a notable Portugese historical presence, and there is an ancient synagoge here that we hope to see today. Reputedly Judaism arrived in Kochi before it arrived in Europe; the synagoge is located in a neighborhood universally referred to as Jew Town. The icon of the Kochi of today is a huge, spindly, hand-powered Ancient-Chinese-style fishing net in the foreground, with a vast container ship steaming into harbor in the background.
This town seems breezier than Puducherry, though that could just be the current weather. In any case, the heat and humidity seem better mitigated by an onshore prevailing wind than they were on the east side of the subcontinent. Yesterday we took a Keralan-style boat ride through some of the back-channels that comprise this extended estuary. Dozens of rivers flow out of the Western Ghat mountain range to form a vast network of small waterways lined with minimalistic homes, dugout canoes, fishing villages, and other people-powered enterprises. We saw a koir facility where palm fibers are woven into mats, shell-collecting and grinding operations for supplying some kind of paint industry, and -- most stark of all human-powered endeavors -- dredging, done by diving with a basket and bringing sand up to a dugout canoe, for sale to concrete manufacturers.
This seems a fitting end to our journey, paradoxical as are so many things Indian, as we are staying in a quite nice hotel (showers!) in a rather run-down neighborhood, in intense heat that is eased by the ocean breeze, and relaxed enough to take time to write but with a busy itinerary about to begin. The students seem to be managing the paradoxes, as they are surely all looking forward to home, yet working to stay receptive to the immediate. Without doubt, much of what is to be learned from this overwhelming endeavor will take time to manifest.
Again, as a welcome surge of coastal air sweeps this open-air Internet space, I once again feel deep gratitude for this awesome opportunity and all who made it possible.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Puducherry
This blog was first set up to reflect our India travels "...as technology permits." Well, I have to add Puducherry to Delhi and Haridwar on the list of cities where I found Internet cafes without functioning Internet services. So it goes.
We left the Golden Triangle area a few days ago to come south on an India Rail train. From Tuesday through Thursday we were part of a rolling residential community, a 25-car passenger train with several hundred fellow passengers. Outside our group, there was not a single white person on the train. It was quite an experience, and for the most part an enjoyable way to punctuate the transition from one part of the country to another. The students had an assignment to interview someone during the train ride, and some very rich discussions emerged from their conversations with various Indian citizens.
We are currently staying at Auroville, a large intentional community just outside of Puducherry, on India's southeast coast. Yesterday we went for a little romp in the Bay of Bengal surf, just down the beach from a fleet of colorful Tamil fishing boats pulled up under the coconut palms. It was lovely, and rather iconically picturesque. Chasing waves brought out the playful side of our group, adding a fun element to the end of our day.
Auroville is a fascinating place. We are here because Auroville is a conscious human experiment that embodies (or at least tries to embody) cross-cultural communication, sustainable agriculture, local economy, and a deliberately non-religious approach to human unity. Thus it aligns with several aspects of our curriculum, and for two days we have toured various elements of the Auroville experiment. One such visit was to the Siddhartha Farm, where organic cashews and peanuts are grown, roasted, and milled into nut butters using a solar-powered grinder. Very low-tech, but one taste of their final product was compelling testimony to its effectiveness!
Just this evening, we had a lively talk about how authentic this community is in implementing its stated goals. While there was little general agreement, the students seem intrigued with the efforts being made here. One evocative issue was the structure that Aurovillians have built at the center of their circular land area, and we shared a volley of ideas about the the role symbols play in organizing communities.
Incidentally, this is the one place in India where we had prior contacts. Ashaman Gray, a Bellingham friend who grew up in Auroville, is here now, and we spent some time together today. And tomorrow we will have lunch with Becky Pillai, who has homes in both Puducherry and Bellingham, and who has been very supportive of our expedition from the outset.
After lunch, we will head for the Chennai train station, and take another India Rail train across to the west coast for our final few days.
We left the Golden Triangle area a few days ago to come south on an India Rail train. From Tuesday through Thursday we were part of a rolling residential community, a 25-car passenger train with several hundred fellow passengers. Outside our group, there was not a single white person on the train. It was quite an experience, and for the most part an enjoyable way to punctuate the transition from one part of the country to another. The students had an assignment to interview someone during the train ride, and some very rich discussions emerged from their conversations with various Indian citizens.
We are currently staying at Auroville, a large intentional community just outside of Puducherry, on India's southeast coast. Yesterday we went for a little romp in the Bay of Bengal surf, just down the beach from a fleet of colorful Tamil fishing boats pulled up under the coconut palms. It was lovely, and rather iconically picturesque. Chasing waves brought out the playful side of our group, adding a fun element to the end of our day.
Auroville is a fascinating place. We are here because Auroville is a conscious human experiment that embodies (or at least tries to embody) cross-cultural communication, sustainable agriculture, local economy, and a deliberately non-religious approach to human unity. Thus it aligns with several aspects of our curriculum, and for two days we have toured various elements of the Auroville experiment. One such visit was to the Siddhartha Farm, where organic cashews and peanuts are grown, roasted, and milled into nut butters using a solar-powered grinder. Very low-tech, but one taste of their final product was compelling testimony to its effectiveness!
Just this evening, we had a lively talk about how authentic this community is in implementing its stated goals. While there was little general agreement, the students seem intrigued with the efforts being made here. One evocative issue was the structure that Aurovillians have built at the center of their circular land area, and we shared a volley of ideas about the the role symbols play in organizing communities.
Incidentally, this is the one place in India where we had prior contacts. Ashaman Gray, a Bellingham friend who grew up in Auroville, is here now, and we spent some time together today. And tomorrow we will have lunch with Becky Pillai, who has homes in both Puducherry and Bellingham, and who has been very supportive of our expedition from the outset.
After lunch, we will head for the Chennai train station, and take another India Rail train across to the west coast for our final few days.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Jaipur
We've had a fine day of exploring Jaipur, including seeing classic sites like the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Amber Fort, as well as visiting a textile works and a painting studio. Though the architecture and history are impressive, I was most impressed seeing men tying individual, inch-long loops of yarn to the warp of a huge intricately patterned carpet, one that will take a full year to complete. Seeing such carpets in the past, I never envisioned people sitting for months on end working yarn with their fingers.
Our group has mostly emerged from a wave of intestinal malaise that passed through us like a stampede of elephants in a jungle. Fortunately it was brief and I don't think will hold any of us back any longer. The incidence of homesickness, though, may take a bit longer to shake.
So much happened away from Internet access that it seems ridiculous to try and recapture it, this late evening in an archaic storefront in Jaipur. Perhaps I can catch up in a future post. For now, I will identify a rough outline.
We traveled from Delhi to Haridwar to Ghansali. There, in the Himalayan foothills, we stayed in the village -- with essentially no English speakers -- for five days. It was a lovely if challenging time, and a great introduction to Indian village life. We were able to spend time at the Jaknyali school working with kids and planting trees. We also got up into the high hills on a gorgeously clear day and cast our eyes toward the not-very-distant peaks of Nepal and Tibet.
Then we passed back through Haridwar to get to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. This is a huge expanse of unpopulated and undeveloped land, comprising forest and savannah, rich in wildlife. I would call it wilderness but for the jeep tracks that lace through it and which we used for our two-day safari. Given the population density and environmental degradation that characterizes so much of this country, being in Corbett was a delightful experience.
From Corbett we returned to Delhi, and now we've had three days in what is known as the Golden Triangle, visiting cultural and historical highlights. I think I'd best sign off, partly to get some sleep before tomorrow and partly because this computer is starting to act up and I don't want to lose this post!
Our group has mostly emerged from a wave of intestinal malaise that passed through us like a stampede of elephants in a jungle. Fortunately it was brief and I don't think will hold any of us back any longer. The incidence of homesickness, though, may take a bit longer to shake.
So much happened away from Internet access that it seems ridiculous to try and recapture it, this late evening in an archaic storefront in Jaipur. Perhaps I can catch up in a future post. For now, I will identify a rough outline.
We traveled from Delhi to Haridwar to Ghansali. There, in the Himalayan foothills, we stayed in the village -- with essentially no English speakers -- for five days. It was a lovely if challenging time, and a great introduction to Indian village life. We were able to spend time at the Jaknyali school working with kids and planting trees. We also got up into the high hills on a gorgeously clear day and cast our eyes toward the not-very-distant peaks of Nepal and Tibet.
Then we passed back through Haridwar to get to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. This is a huge expanse of unpopulated and undeveloped land, comprising forest and savannah, rich in wildlife. I would call it wilderness but for the jeep tracks that lace through it and which we used for our two-day safari. Given the population density and environmental degradation that characterizes so much of this country, being in Corbett was a delightful experience.
From Corbett we returned to Delhi, and now we've had three days in what is known as the Golden Triangle, visiting cultural and historical highlights. I think I'd best sign off, partly to get some sleep before tomorrow and partly because this computer is starting to act up and I don't want to lose this post!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Delhi!
Finally, after nearly two weeks in India, I have found a working Internet connection! This is perhaps more a reflection of the remote places we have been and the busy travel schedule we have been maintaining than of India's technological infrastructure. Yet it has been a bit frustrating to be unable to maintain the kind of communication to which I'm accustomed.
And even now, our bus awaits and I have just a moment to check in before moving on. So let me capture this moment: The smog is thick, the traffic hectic, the city amped up for Republic Day, a national holiday. Yesterday we visited the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, the Lotus Temple, the Jama Masjid Mosque, and a few other notable sights around the city. The magnificent antiquity of this place is as humbling as the traffic is obnoxious.
The past two weeks of travel have offered an amazing array of experiences, from urban noise to mountain vistas to village life to wilderness exploration (by jeep, so we're not talking American-style wilderness.) Our group is working well together, has for the most part been in good health and spirits, and is soaking up the amazing differentness of this country.
Today we will visit a couple more sites around this city before heading to Jaipur in a bus we chartered for the purpose. Hopefully there will be Internet access in Jaipur so that I can check in properly.
As we cross the halfway point of our expedition we are thinking of all the folks back home who have supported us, cared for us, and provided inspiration to our adventuresome spirits.
And even now, our bus awaits and I have just a moment to check in before moving on. So let me capture this moment: The smog is thick, the traffic hectic, the city amped up for Republic Day, a national holiday. Yesterday we visited the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, the Lotus Temple, the Jama Masjid Mosque, and a few other notable sights around the city. The magnificent antiquity of this place is as humbling as the traffic is obnoxious.
The past two weeks of travel have offered an amazing array of experiences, from urban noise to mountain vistas to village life to wilderness exploration (by jeep, so we're not talking American-style wilderness.) Our group is working well together, has for the most part been in good health and spirits, and is soaking up the amazing differentness of this country.
Today we will visit a couple more sites around this city before heading to Jaipur in a bus we chartered for the purpose. Hopefully there will be Internet access in Jaipur so that I can check in properly.
As we cross the halfway point of our expedition we are thinking of all the folks back home who have supported us, cared for us, and provided inspiration to our adventuresome spirits.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Departure...
With just a few hours before departure, we are poised like river paddlers, hearing the rushing rapids ahead but unable to see just what we are in for. Excitement is predominant, but it is tempered with a bit of fatigue from all the preparations we've been making.
Our courses have begun; this week has been full with initial classes addressing the geography of South Asia, basic Hindi, Indian music, communication skills, patterns in Indian graphic art, customs and etiquette, and many related topics. We've been blessed with wonderful guest presenters like Cat Zavis, Sita Amba-Rao, and Ryan Zimmerman, and have also taken time to watch a few Indian films.
As helpful as these activities have been, my sense is that they have only barely begun to prepare us, and that it may not be possible to be fully ready for the pulsing intensity of Delhi that will soon surround us.
Let me express gratitude to you all for the generous donations and other support you have provided! This expedition is truly a product of many people's efforts, contributions, and guidance. We embark today, humbled by the kindness of our community, and eager to share what kindnesses we can with the people of India.
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