Hi all
Sorry i havent updated you all in some time. Coming back after work gets tiring and you just want to rest before heading out in the evening. So work has been fun this week. I bought the kids at the shelter some goodies! 2 cricket bats, balls, play dough, colouring pencils and paint books. For the really young ones i got them some puzzles to pass their time with. I took a couple of the older boys with me to town so that i could get this all at a decent price- despite speaking whatever hindi i have picked up here the local shop owners will still know you are a foreigner and rip you right off! It was great fun seeing the boys play cricket- i even managed to hit a few 6's here and there ;-)!!! Its amazing that its the small things that keep these kids so happy here. Whenever i ask them if there is anything that they would like me to buy for them- they only want games or sports equipment. If you were to ask a kid from london- you'd here an ipod or nintendo!
For the first time i actually enjoyed having a chat with the older boys that are in their 20's. Most of them are married by 23 and have children that also come to the shelter. It is angering that they all feel the need to keep having more and more kids when they are so poor and live the way they do. I have so many questions to ask them but the language is a big barrier here as they all speak tamil or kannada. I got speaking to a young boy that had slit his whole arm because he fell for a girl that didnt love him back. A lot of the kids you see in the shelter have experienced some horrible unimaginable things in their lives. You just need to see their body and you can figure it out. I was bathing one of the older boys and saw that he had blade marks all over his back and chest. I asked one of the boys what had happened to him and he said that jesus had done it to him. So sad to see how some of the young kids are mentally troubled and what they do. Everyday you see new faces, some that come in stoned or drunk and want to see the volunteers and others that just come in for company and to have some food. The kids are good fun to be around and surprisingly the young girls that are in the shelter are a lot more aggressive than the boys. They generally bully and go around hitting the other kids and their younger siblings that they bring with them. There are 2 notorious girls in my shelter that use any opportunity to wack the little toddlers and when they are scoulded they pull a face and run off. Patience is something you def learn out here!
Apart from the work i have been doing- i have been out here and there with my family and friends. Went to stay at Aparnas house at the weekend and went out for karishmas husbands bday at a lovely bar and then had a bbq the next day. Lots of food and booze to keep us going till the early hours of the morning! Yesterday went for a bollywood night at the leela palace hotel- such a beautiful place! Had such a blast with these guys- wish they lived in london! Unfortunately the clubs close at 11.30 so we have to continue the party at home! Havent done any shopping here yet- shock i know!!! Will wait to hit the stores in bombay!
I havent been well today and it seems i have caught a cold. Nose is running and throat is very sore. The late nights and change of weather is prob the cause. Been taking natural herbal remedies so hopefully i will be back to normal in the next few days. Am going to a sangeet tonight with karishma and co. Her friend is getting married this weekend so looking forward to that.
Hope you enjoyed the pics and now you can all put faces to the names!
Hope you are all well!
p.s i have extended my trip and will be back on the 15th march!! Sorry! xx
