Actually, as you will probably be aware, not Day 44 at all, but Day 43 part two, with the visit to Shree Beena, Aparna’s school. A few buildings grouped around a large field, currently completely sodden and bog-like, (and with fishes n it, Aparna tells me) but with hotter, sunnier conditions, the place for assembly, volleyball, cricket – though I don’t know how, there’s no place it looks like you could bowl. No assembly today, as it was still raining, so I was taken straight to the staff room, where I met the staff (and managed to amuse them by pretending to take the place of the absent headteacher.)
After which I was guided to the first of my three classes, one after the other with no pause for breath between them. First off was Aparna’s own class, in a packed classroom, about 45 of them. Talked about England, drew them a sketch map on the board, to point out London, Oxford and Liverpool – clearly this was my own family I was concentrating on. Aparna had told me they wanted to learn chess; a few knew how to play, but others, especially the girls, wanted to learn. Considering there were so many of them, it was surprisingly successful, and we got to the point where I was playing a demonstration game against one of their better players. The disappointing thing was that I was then shepherded away without getting onto the bit where I gave the girls a chance.
Next class was a more senior group, and I spent a good bit of this one retelling the story of Romeo and Juliet, translated by Trilok, my driver, which seemed to grip them. We are thinking of arranging to bus them to Dhangadhi for the afternoon show of R4J. No, not across the bridge; there is another way round (though much much longer.)
And then I was whisked away again, to what appeared to be 14 year olds. I did get a bit preachy during this one, somehow, telling them about All the world’s a stage, which turned out to an exhortation to make the most of their lives, which came about out of some talks about acting, and a few quick goes at showing happy, sad, angry etc, and talking about how we are all actors at different times, playing different roles in different situations. I lightened the mood by responding to a beautiful song sung by one of the girls (I asked Aparna what it meant, and she had no idea, as it was in a native language) by singing a slightly shortened version of Sam Cooke’s It’s a wonderful world, and then a lively If you’re happy and you now it (endng with “Do it all” – clap your hands, stamp your feet, pat your head, rub your team.) And then, suddenly, it was over – Friday is a special day apparently, but I got confused as to exactly how, so won’t confuse you by trying to explain.
At the finish, some of the girls grabbed me to record a quick tik-tok – it may be a village in rural Nepal, but some things are pretty universal, such being the democratisation of the internet… up to a point.
I had enjoyed myself immensely, but then, that is easy enough when just buzzing in for the day, and then disappearing again. Doing it day after day, that’s the tricky thing.
