PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Ashleigh Barnes
It has been said that if one word could encapsulate Goa, it would have to be the Portuguese sossegado, “laid-back”. Portuguese rule, which began in 1510, has left a distinct mark on this little state in India, rendering it different from all others in the subcontinent. This week we became familiar with the peaceful co-existence of true Indian culture alongside remnants of European influence. Having said that, our week has by no means been sossegado. This week in twos and threes the Antips have divided and conquered the work areas in Goa.
On Monday our orientation tour took us far and wide, from orphanages to slum or government schools to women empowerment classes or hospitals. Overwhelmed with need and choice we finalized our decisions over Monday night dinner. Monday also saw our lovely Laura be dressed up in a bridal sari in a workshop ran at camp.
On Tuesday our “Observation Day” was not true to its name. Many of us were thrown in the deep end and left with entire classes of children to teach and entertain. We struggled through the morning and afternoon and had too many stories to tell at dinner time! Throughout the rest of the week we thoroughly enjoyed settling into the rhythm of work. It was also a week of celebrations. First it was Elise’s birthday which took us to the markets in Colva and a night of shopping and cocktails on the beach. Second it was Zoe’s birthday which saw us lazing on the sand and engaging in some adventurous parasailing before enjoying Italian dinner for a change.
From frantic lesson planning to deep fried sandwiches, from taking a whole week to teach the colour green to doing complicated maths sums which are almost out of my own depth, it is safe to say week one has challenged us and inspired us. At the close of week one I have a few choice phrases: market market market, one more one more one more, teacher teacher teacher, chapatti chapatti chapatti.
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