Natalie Bastian – Weekly Report No.2

This week we had a lot of rain so the kids couldn’t play football because the whole place was filled with water. One evening when I was going to dinner my feet were completely covered with the water which didn’t vanish in the earth.

On Saturday it was for the first time possible to do something outside the house so we played football and I really enjoyed it. Pater Jose and Pater Alexander also were participated and they were absolutely concentrated on the play and on the kids which was interesting to see and I think they had a lot of fun too and it was good for them not to think about their work for an hour. Unfortunately my team lost the game, although we were Team Germany (some kids have German jerseys!!). Alternating to playing football with the boys, I’m playing games with the girls and some sisters enjoyed it too.

On Sunday morning we all went together to church. It wasn’t the same church in which the daily mess had proceeded. The appearance of this church and the structure of the mess is quite like the German. Here in St. John’s the children often have to pray and the people are willing to teach them Christian principles.

On Monday there were the last exams and the children are happy now to have more freetime. The last two weeks they had to learn the whole day and in the evening sometimes till 10:00 pm. Now in the evening they have Computer Lessons again and they are very happy about this, although they are not allowed to play racing games (their favourite game!). I convinced them that there are many other cool games so now they are trying them.

While teaching English, the children teach my Malayalam, but for me all the words are the same and I can’t remember many of them.

But maybe till December I am able to say something in their language.
Meanwhile I’m familiarized with the Indian food. I know what I like and what I don’t like and when I’m eating the people always tell me what is spicy and what is good for me, so they take care and I don’t have to worry about an attack of coughing. Kerala is the state of bananas and coconuts, so the food often tastes after coconut (I like it) and after every meal a banana has to be the desert (the bananas are pretty much better than the bananas in Germany! And the pineapples in Germany are absolutely no opposition to the ones I have eaten here!).

From India, Natalie