India Mission 2007: India... A Vision Realized

Our Diary

July 2 - Crapping myself into a prune

In what was set to be a great reunion, and the first day in awhile with all five of us present at a workshop, was sabotaged by some bacteria. With Melissa hugging the porcelain all night and having to go to the hospital with Shamin for what appears to be typhoid fever, we were three strong for the workshop.

Fifty-seven fifteen year olds—half girls, half boys—were present. The workshop went quite well, however the youth had much difficulty in understanding improv theatre—the most to date perhaps. Not only would the boys refuse to work with the girls—which we’ve come to accept as normal and understandable—but they could not understand that they were to perform in front of the group.

While this may have been due to communication difficulties, it seems equally attributable to lack of arts in the education curriculum. This observation is not to judge but it was the first time where familiarity with arts and the ability to express oneself was noticed first hand.