Tag Archives: Tamil Nadu

The little things

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I have to admit that I never really understood why people get so excited and giddy over babies. The mention, let alone the presence of a mini human being can turn grown adults in to doe eyed fools, who speak utter rubbish.

I may now be starting to understand why this happens, after the birth of my first born son. Unlike other babies, he is actually cute and super cool, so people thinking that he is awesome is perfectly understandable to me. As for me I have turned into a nonsensical fool, babbling sounds that mean nothing, pulling ridiculous faces, and doing actions that are utterly foolish, just for the amusement of this 16 week old. It looks like, for intents and purposes that my brain has turned to mush, which I can only guess happened to other people first.

This means that my happiness is highly linked to the happiness of this small person. Fortunately he is a very happy baby, and can generally be made happy with very simple things, a change of nappy, some food or a cuddle. One of the things that makes me very happy is blowing in his face. as you blow in his face, he normally smiles and giggles.

The simplicity of babies is brilliant, a small action can be seen to bring such pure happiness. Even though a baby can’t communicate clearly with you, you can see the positive impact your small actions have. One of the things I have seen with Chennai Challenge is how small actions can make a huge difference.

Taking away all of the money that Chennai Challenge has raised and spent on various projects over the past 6 years, and just looking at the time teams have spent in India a huge impact can be seen. Many of the young people we work with in Chennai can’t express in English the thanks that they want to, and yet looking at them, their smiles and the joy on their faces, shows how much they appreciate people going to spend time with them. Just like a simple act can make a baby happy, playing a game of thumb wars or pat-a-cake can have a huge impact on the life of people in India.

I think that this is one of the things that I like so much about Chennai Challenge and the work that it does, the simplicity of things. Just by going and spending time with people helps lift them from their situation, helps to show them love and bring, even if for a small time, some happiness. All of you who have been on a project, or supported us in anyway are part of that. Just like a baby, bringing happiness can be very simple.

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  • Hiya! (chennaichallenge.com)

Hiya!

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I was having a quick chat with the Chennai Challenge team photo this morning when…

Just kidding guys – I haven’t reached the talking-to-photos stage of reverse culture shock…yet!

I am missing Chennai and the team though, but funny everyday things remind me of the summer – like if anyone says “totes” or “parred!”. I was face painting at a church social evening thing last night, but nobody wanted to be a tiger. Last week, me and Megan went on a school trip to Symphony Hall, but the sing-song on the mini-bus didn’t include “who’s the king of the jungle” – although Megan did try!

I had the longest article in the school newsletter last week about Chennai Challenge – 2 sides and 5 lovely big colourful pictures! This week, my primary school have asked me to pop in as class 3 are starting a project about India! I’m taking photos and Indian sweets, I’ll wear a chuddidar and teach them some of the songs and games we did with the Kottivakam boys, ooh and maybe a bit of Tamil! In a couple of weeks, I’m filling in the Cubs about India and how the money I raised from the Cubs chocolate hamper raffle may have affected children their own age in Chennai.

On Sunday, Emma and Rob are coming for India night at my youth group. It’s a bit like we’ve come full circle because this was sort of how I first heard of Chennai Challenge – Rob showing photos and selling jewelry at PYGS. I was 13 or 14 then, I took a leaflet but didn’t really expect that I’d actually go to Chennai and return with so many photos, friends and memories.

Starting 6th form has been fun and very busy! Lots of teachers asked about what I’d been doing in India. I hadn’t told alot of them that I was even going, so I wasn’t sure how they all knew! Most of them said they were jealous as they’d  had a boring summer and have always wanted to volunteer abroad with a charity like this. I told them to look at this website and to just go for it! I think it’s dead funny, looking back to last winter, to think about when I was sat in the car outside Rob and Cathy’s house with my application form on my lap, debating with myself about whether I could really do it – push the envelope through the door and go to Chennai. I am so sooo glad now that I did.

Mary x

Day Nine!

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Vanakam! Today is our midpoint, our hump day, our half way point in our time in Chennai! It has been a totally amazing adventure so far, and I can’t wait for the up coming days: spending even more time with the boys in YMCA boys town at Kottivakam, for leading our second English class with Oasis students and our next after school session at Blue Edge.

Highlights of the trip so far have certainly got to include the four day activity holiday we led in the Yellagiri hills for the boys from Kottivakam boys town. We, the chennai challenge team, enjoyed running the sports, games, crafts and songs with the boys. We split into seperate teams; Suzanne and I led Orange team – the orange tigers (roar!) and were almost as excited as the boys themselves when they won the overall points score at the end of the few days.

Some boys wanted to give their crafts,drawings, and sweets to members of the Chennai Challenge team, telling us it was a “reminder of them” – they were so appreciative of us just being there to laugh, listen, play and talk with them. What they may not have realised is that we could never forget them anyway! Working with them has enabled me to learn so much and given me much more confidence in working with people and especially children.

I’m blogging form a lovely toasty internet cafe with a stomach full of mushroom biryani and watermelon juice! Bliss! Emma says we have to go now! So, so long, farewell, adios amigos!

Hannah’s weekend

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A blog post from Hannah.  The new team will soon be able to blog from their own accounts, but for now I’m copying and pasting from emails – enjoy!

“I said I was accident prone but no-one believed me until this weekend.  Amongst all the fun, the learning tamil- most of which I have forgotten and will need to look over, pretending to be children, which definitely was the easiest bit of the weekend. Learning to eat one-handed! As your left hand is your ‘poo hand’! There were quite a few accidents, or close accidents.
The most impressive one had to be skidding across the floor of the tube station whilst trying to get off and back on the train when it stopped as well as getting a photo. I would never advise crashing into a wall but it seems to happen to me a lot! As well as being on an escalator and almost falling down it- that was not much fun!And then, just because my ankle is a bit messed up, I spent the rest of the weekend hobbling even if I was trying to run! On top of that we played a very chaotic and dangerous game of ladders, as Auntie Jackie fell over Susie and Kate A, and I landed very heavily and now cannot lean on my elbows! Also, the one most people didn’t know about was that on the way home on the train I managed to hit my head against the window and get a headache but there you go!
I really enjoyed this weekend, and really enjoyed getting to know my mentor team as even though we were late we still beat the others by miles! I’m so tired now and will NEVER be able to take either broccoli or cultery seriously again! Now I just have the fun task of preparing for exams as well as raising as much money as possible!”

Cryptic really isn’t it? Thanks anyway Hannah!

This weekend…

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I have very little to do on a Thursday so I thought I might as well write a short blog.

This weekend the Chennai Challenge team of 2012 will be setting off to London for a weekend of training. I’m sure it will be filled with silly songs and dances and possibly even a snazzy PowerPoint presentation, but that’s all part of the fun of Chennai Challenge.

The YMCA boys certainly don’t mind us acting like complete fools. That’s probably one of the strangest qualities I’ve gained from going to India with Chennai Challenge; there’s nothing wrong with being a bit silly. That’s part of being outside of my comfort zone and without that we wouldn’t be prepared for the amazing work we are going to do in August.

Yet again this year I am amazed at people’s generosity and not just with their money. They have generously given their time and even promised their homes for evening events. Without them a curry night that has been organised and even a sausage and mash night would be completely impossible. My church this year has helped so much already.

As promised only a  short blog but just remember it’s perfectly fine to act like a monkey (Isaac) because it puts a smile on a small Indian boy’s face. And that is good. :)