A Monkey Crapped On The Table, & Other Tales From School

Amrita Miss is Back and the world of Manakamana School has gone insane.

I've been at school again for just over a week, and I feel like a celebrity. Everywhere I go, people seem to want a piece of me, to give me things and to spend time with me. My room is filled with an array of paper sculptures and other random gifts from students and teachers alike. When I step out of the door, I'm greeted with a million "Hello Miss", "Good morning Mam", "You come in our class Miss" and "AMRITAAAAAAAA". When I enter a (class)room everyone screams and claps and can't contain their excitement. Some of the teachers have even been ringing me at 7am in the morning when I have been with my friends and hungover (nowhere near school, I hasten to add) - "Where are you? What are you doing? Why aren't you here? Come to see us! What do you mean you have a life outside school?!".

I'm even getting fan mail - yesterday I got a note from a student which said "To Amrita Mam. I LOVE YOU. You are very beautiful and clean". It was the clean bit that really got to me. Every day I'm busy with some extra curricular activity - visiting teacher's houses, going to monasteries, meeting Nepali friends, seeing other volunteers - there's a constant stream of invitations and new things to do. It's great, but a bit exhausting - at this rate I'll be totally knackered by the time I leave school on my birthday!

While I've been away, a few changes have taken place. Some new teachers have arrived, along with new resources, identity cards and musical instruments - progress indeed. The dreaded jack fruit is now out of season (Yes!) and I am now sampling delights such as mango pickle and pumpkin curry. Instead of getting comments such as "you so white", I am getting "your face is changed - darker". Two amazingly cute puppies have arrived in school - they are just adorable. One of my pupils has broken her arm, and one of my favourite kids had his appendix out. It's all go!.

But special mention must go to the monkeys. Now, they have been monkeying around the school since I arrived, cruising past the classrooms and so on. But lately, they seem to have become cocky little b*&%ards - I have to be careful to close my bedroom door in case they steal my underwear. The other day, the librarian was chatting with the computer science teacher, in fits of giggles. They explained to me that, "a monkey came into the library, destroyed all the art materials and left a stool on the table". Nothing that exciting or monkey-related ever happened like that in my school, more's the pity.

Like the monkeys, the kids are still wreaking havoc. As enthusiastic and boisterous as ever, they are both the greatest aspect of being here and the hardest. I was very much in two minds about coming back to school, especially as it meant missing out on other trips. But I have to say it has been so much easier the second time round, and I've actually really enjoyed it. Obviously there are still challenges, but I'm on the home straight now and feel much better equipped to deal with whatever comes my way.

Yesterday, I was teaching Class 3B Old MacDonald Had A Farm. They are so cute singing it, but they just can't get the rhythm right for the "with a ... ... here and a ... ... there"! Anyway, one little boy told me he knew an English song. On first try he forgot the words, but came back and sang it so beautifully - it was really touching. I've been encouraging the older kids to be a little more creative by running lessons on magazine writing or marketing - where they have to come up with a little a product, name, slogan etc - and they absolutely love it! It is these kind of experiences that make me glad I didn't just go and be a tourist for a few more weeks, tempting as that was before.

I've also been working with some of the teachers on some "new ideas and new ways of doing things". It's odd, because I've had no teacher training, but when I showed the Head of English some of the things I've done, he said "Ahh, yes, we were taught these techniques in teaching school - but we don't apply them". And I'm like "why not?". He's like, "I don't really know...it's difficult, the way of teaching is so different. but we do want to make changes". It's just so hard to break the mold here. I have made tons of suggestions for lessons, teacher training and encouraging English speaking. At the moment, everyone is really enthusiastic - but it's hard to know what will happen when I leave. Still, we can but try to make a difference! I'm off to go and visit a school for orphans now, so until next time...x