Good Morning Auntie

I spend my mornings with the lucky children. By this I mean that, while they are orhpans, the kids at Shishu Brevan are clothed, well-fed, medicated, and even loved and cared for my Indian workers and volunteers. The first obstacle of the day is getting everyone seated and calmed for our morning prayer to begin class. This is often a challenge, as obedience is not one of the strongest qualities of my pupils. I was surprised the first time Dhulika (age 12) looked at her assignment and then at me and simply said, "No." But according to insight from one of my Indian friends, many children respond only to corporal punishment here, and as soon as they know that the volunteers won't strike them, they know their cooperation in the classroom is optional. In my school experience, however, to tell an authority no for any reason was unacceptable. But it's absurd to compare my experience with Dhuika's. After prayers, the next obstacle in my classroom is one that exists outside as well--communication. Bengali, Hindi, and English words buzz around the room like Indian mosquitoes, threatening only to infect the little ones with learning. My work there is truly enjoyable, and by eleven it seems the morning of classtime has flown by.