Jessie Moses at last

We were to be picked up at 10:00 on Saturday to be transported to CSI Jessie Moses School. We were up early, packed our bags and settled into some reading while we waited. Much to our surprise and delight the doorbell rang at 9:30 with our driver eagerly announcing that he was ready to go.

We have learnt that when you get a good surprise you need to be prepared for what comes next. We had been transported around all week in quite large cars with plenty of room and to my surprise as I looked over the driver’s shoulder I saw the smallest car I had seen all week.

I explained to him that we had some large bags to take but with a nonchalant swagger of the head in true Indian fashion he proclaimed “it is OK Sir we will fit”

Who was I to doubt such confidence. After all had I not seen a family of 5 with two large bags zoom past us on a motor cycle a couple of days previously.

We managed to fit our smallest clothes bag in the boot – good start. The biggest one would not fit on the back seat and let someone sit in there also but if it was put longways leaning over the drivers seat it would – good. Not sure at this stage where the driver was going to put his head.

Two carry bags on top of that and Lynn wedged in next to that – good. I am in the front seat nursing another bag – good. Only the driver to go. I did not believe the neck could actually turn at the angle his was but he was in and the door was closed – good.

He managed to get us there safely by 10:00 and we met the Principal who was very friendly and told us that she had been expecting us since last year. She didn’t know if we were friends or husband and wife. (Obviously communication is no a strong point here??!) When we asked her what we were going to do, she said she was hoping we would tell her. We offered some suggestions which she seemed happy with. She seemed happy for us to work with the younger girls in the hostel in the mornings while the Year 10 – 12 girls were doing exams.

She said something about teaching lessons which seems a bit scary considering we don’t even know what they learn. I guess we’ll learn on the run. The school has in excess of 2,000 students of which 80 live in the Hostel. They are girls from the poorest areas who are offered places by Grisham (aka CSI).

The accommodation they have provided for us used to be the Principal’s residence but the new principal lives off site with her family. We are embarrassed because it is a palace compared to other schools we have seen. On top of that they have purchased a new ¾ fridge and a washing machine for us (which we can’t connect yet). There is a microwave but no cook top but we hope that is coming.

A couple of the office girls were still doing the final clean for us as we walked in. They had stocked the fridge with butter, sugar, coffee, corn flakes, bread, oranges, apples and bananas, however no bowls to eat the cornflakes and no knives to butter the bread because they don’t eat cornflakes or bread. We are having trouble buying the knives and bowls. We might have to visit the “Mall” in town.

There are two bedrooms with new mattresses (the standard Indian rock hard variety) with ensuites in both rooms where you can shower while sitting on the toilet. Everything including the toilet paper gets wet during the shower but we aren’t complaining. It’s wonderful to have a shower and toilet!!!

After unpacking we walked down the street to purchase a few things we wanted and have fun with a few of the local storekeepers.

We spent the afternoon chatting with groups of the older Hostel girls. Their English is amazing and we had a lot of fun with them. These same girls came up to the house to have a look at my (Lynn) new Salwars and suggested which one I should wear to church. We showed them photos of family and talked until about 6.15 pm.

They invited us to their Chapel service at 6:30 pm. They sang unaccompanied, some songs we knew, some in Tamil, and Lynn sang a few songs to them (I refrained from singing at this early stage in case I scared any of the younger ones). We had a bible reading then this Year 10 girl jumps to her feet with no notes and proceeds to deliver a 10 minute sermon on the reading. It was great. There was a closing prayer and the mosquitoes descended and had a fairly good meal of Lynn. It was the first time we had been caught out at dusk without renewing our mosquito repellent.