Day 10: The beginning of the lasts and preparations.

My hands were filled with Mendhi (Henna) last night so I wasn't able to post. All the girls were doing mendhi in preparation for the festivities on Sunday. All the girls were putting the mendhi on for each other including the teachers and vice- versa, it was so much fun. And the girls were doing it free hand like it was their job, so pretty! Krupa and Palak each did one of my hands. 

The girls doing each others mendhi.
(Can you spot me?)

So talented!

My mendhi! Krupa did the hand on the left and Palak did the hand on the right.

The day was another fast but exhausting day. With so much going on, it was all hands on deck. The kids are putting so much effort into helping prepare including making flags to hang, banners, to decorating the exterior and interior of each building. Decorating their own classrooms however was probably their favorite part. It became a competition between each class and if you weren't one of the class members then you weren't allowed to enter. The kids were making murals on the wall, cutting things out of paper,  and hanging decorations. They were taking such pride getting things ready especially their rooms and the mural outside of their room. 

Decorating outside the classrooms

The clsss I helped with, proud to say I only helped with
 the coloring and writing. The boys free hand drew this themselves.

9A girls decorating their room.

The finished product.

Classes have been unofficially been suspended until after the celebration, all the kids are involved in some performance or preparation like painting and putting things on the building. 

They stapled each flag on the line.

Dr. Padhiyar and the team working together to hoist the lines.

I had my last class today, 9-A and 9-B. Each day I have built more confidence in what I was teaching and how. While I was still nervous each day, it was no longer because of me being anxious but it was now because I wanted to make sure I was getting my point across. I have enjoyed teaching while I was here and am already making plans of what I will teach when I get the chance to come back.

My 9-A and 9-B class today. My last class for this visit.

As the preparations continue, everyone keeps getting busier and busier building up to the festivities on the 28th. Signing off, lots of work to be done. 

Two days to go and I don't want to even think about leaving.

- Aekta