The British-Run Classroom

There are so many differences between the British and American curriculum, and even the everyday vocabulary used. I'm able to laugh at myself, so that when the people here laugh, it's "with" me and not "at" me!

Here are some of the dozens of things I'm keeping in mind as I converse with people and teach.

Trousers=Pants

Prep=Homework

Register=Attendance/Role

Half 3=3:30

30 March=March 30th

Standard Six=5th Grade

The lou=Bathroom

Lift=Elevator

Uni=University/College

Computer Suite=Computer Lab

Home/Flat=Dorm

Original Home=Home

Bonnet/Boot=Front/Back of a car

Morning Play=Recess

Religious Education=Bible Class

Maths=Math

(Bobblehead movement)=Yes

Tamil=Local Language

Holiday=Break/Vacation

Lovely=Cool

Speech marks=Quotation Marks

Full Stop=Period (This one is hard to remember to say!)

Learning Intention=Teaching Standard/Learning Goal

Rubbish Bin=Trash Can

I love my students!

It's beautiful here! I love my kids, and the teachers. praise him!

This school is much more overtly faith-based than i thought! They have a morning assembly each day, in which there is a devotional. We pray, and the kids pray out loud too. They are very mature kids, especially for 10 year olds. They welcomed me and introduced me in the assembly, and one of the girls prayed for me. It was so powerful and encouraging.

My luggage got lost in Singapore, and I still don't have it. I might get it on Thursday, but there's no guarantee. One of the things I miss, that I packed in my checked luggage, is my American snacks. I'm learning a lot about myself...All of the "stuff" I use, and consume, to get me through each day. The Father is gracious in revealing things to me. Even though i dont have the familiarity of the food I packed, my stomach is doing OK with the spicy food. I like it so far.

I observed my class today for the first time! It turns out that Standard 6 is equivalent to 5th Grade, which is my favorite age! It was a total surprise to get 10 and 11 year olds! I love lvoe love love them already. i have 22 kids from all over the world. Most speak 2 or 3 languages. It's amazing! One of them lived in Calcutta for 10 years, so i want to talk with her about that city soon. And the American kids in my class feel really excited about me being there. There are only 2 of us, on staff, from America, so they told me I'm a piece of "home" for them. It's awesome!

I got to play the piano for a bunch of them during our hour-and-fifteen minute lunch break (really long break!). I played a few faith based songs from the piano books the school owns. Connecting with them through song, while they sang along with me, was so good for my soul. I'm falling in love with these kids so much and its only my first day with them! It was so fun!

Botanical Gardens

From my dorm room, I have a view of the botanical gardens in Ooty. This is the bench right outside my window :-)

Beautiful Hebron School

I'm here in Ooty safe and sound! When I arrived at the Coimbatore airport at 12 a.m., I waited by the conveyor belt until it was completely empty. I was notified by a smiling Indian staff member, "Your bags aren't here." I have nothing but airplane-soiled clothes, an ipod and some books. WHAT?! WHEN WILL THEY BE HERE? "Your bags won't be coming until maybe Thursday morning," he said with the obnoxious smile still on his face. For those of you who have been to India before, you know what I mean. It's a face-saving mechanism. As he took down all my info and phone number, I remembered that things won't always go as planned, and it's OK!

Andrew, my mentor, picked me up and we talked in the taxi until we arrived at Hebron School at 3:30 a.m. Ooty is a honeymoon destination, among other traveling people. It was so beautiful, I could tell even in the darkness. He gave me a quick tour of the cafeteria, dorms and then gave me my key. My dorm room is so cute! There is a bed, some chairs around a small table, and a desk and chair to do work at. My closet will be put to use when my bags get here (IF my bags get here.) It's all decorated so cute! I have my own bathroom too. I was too excited to sleep, so I journaled.

All this reminds me of my past trips to Calcutta. The humid night air as I walked out of the airport, the cement floors inside simple homes (dorms), the smells (that's right, I'm quite fond of them), the Indian accents and foreign language that is music to my ears. God has done so much through me and within me in this amazing country, and I trust He will do more for His glory in this trip.

It was a shock for me to think about surviving with out my luggage....No toothpaste, no clean underwear or clothing, no shower supplies, no food, no salwars. I worried about offending the locals here by coming outside my dorm with out taking a shower, and in American clothes. I had to really trust God to provide or give everyone understanding. During a quick phone call with my parents, my sister's advice was that I wouldn't leave my dorm room so culturally inappropriate! Hahaha thanks Amy that helps :-/

I met a teacher from America named Stefanie, and she brought me to meet my master teacher, Mark and my 6th Grade class. They were rehearsing for a Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat performance, and when I walked into the auditorium, they all pointed at me and gave me such a warm, excited greeting. "Hi Miss Winter!" was all I could hear. They are so cute!

I bought necessary supplies at the market, which Andrew walked me to in the rain, and I finally got to take a shower. The food is so great here! After dinner, a sweet girl named Elly from the UK invited me over to her flat for tea. Our prayers for a good friend are already answered, as she offered me her clothing and food, as well as her precious time to just talk with me.

I have so much information in my head right now, and dozens of names! I'm loving every minute of it, and God is walking so close to me in all of it. I'm excited to observe in my classroom tomorrow!

Technologically Challenged

...At least I can spell it, right?
I thought there was a problem with my power adapter, but it turns out I just wasn't using it right! Big surprise, huh. The nice lady at the electronic store explained it to me. You'd think I'd remember, after using adapters 4 times. Oh well.

It's been a good layover. I worked out for an hour, slept in my hotel room, talked with Aaron online and read my book. When I woke up in my hotel room, I thought I was in my bed at home. I reached over for my cell phone and realized I was in Singapore! A big smile spread across my face. I'm so excited to be in Asia!

When I finally had an appetite (after 24 hours of not eating) I ate a bowl of soup and a starbucks latte. I wanted to buy my mom a Singapore starbucks gift card, but they are only redeemable in Singapore. I got a pedicure next, per mom's suggestion. The women working at the airport here are nice, and fun to have conversations with.

I'm here at my gate, 2 hours early. It was so easy to find because it was directly beneath my hotel!

Singapore Airport

The "goodbyes" with my mom, dad and Aaron in LAX were really hard, sad and tearful. I love them so much.

The flight was good! I felt so blessed because I had a couple of nice women by me, and one of them offered me her aisle seat.

I watched some good movies: Couple's Retreat, An Education and Everything's Fine, which had an amazing plot at great message about honesty and communication. After that 12 hour flight, I had a layover in Japan. On my 7 hour flight from Japan to Singapore, no one was sitting next to me, so I took a sleeping pill and laid down on the next chair. It was so comfortable I slept the whole flight! So now, I'm in Singapore airport. I checked into my hotel room and read The Voice in the Wind in there for a while. I don't feel sleepy so I checked my emails and worked out at the gym. I have 16 more hours of this layover...It's pretty boring by myself but it's alright. God is keeping me in good spirits. It's about 5 am here, Singapore time. My internal clock is already really off! But I'm planning on pushing through the time change when I get to India.

Thanks for all your encouragements and prayers. A good friend of mine gave me a note to open on the plane, and that warmed my heart. She reminded me to be where I'm at, all the time. The Father has me at these places for a reason, and I want to experience it deeply with Him.

Travel Time!

I'm leaving for India tomorrow morning. I'm so excited! My plane takes off at 2:10 p.m., and thus starts my 48 hour travel time. I fly about 19 hours to Singapore, then layover for 22 hours, sleep in a hotel, and fly 7 hours to India. My supervisor will pick me up at the airport, and drive me 3 hours up a windy mountain side up to the town of Ooty. The flight, layovers and travel time make me nervous. In the past, I've never fallen asleep on a plane, except when I could use Aaron's shoulder. I'm preparing myself for a cramped couple of days. A Voice in the Wind and some Henri Nouwen books are in my carry-on bag. Singapore Airlines has hundreds of movies, songs and TV Shows to watch, too.

I'm so excited to meet everyone at the International School in India. I talked to my supervisor in India on Monday night, and he was so kind. It was encouraging to hear that he's been praying for me, and he assured me I'll have some good female friends there. I'm excited to meet the people in the dorm complex I'll be living in. I'm ready to make new friendships and get to know people on the other side of the world!

3 weeks out

The trip is getting closer, and I'm feeling so much regarding it. Each day I feel different toward it- Sometimes scared, unprepared, or too tired to go, and sometimes happy, excited, and deeply thankful to have the opportunity and support.

Am I ready?

Fear creeps in often. I'm scared of traveling alone, with no one who is familiar to me. I'm scared of finding my way through international airports, and catching planes on time (I'm directionally challenged). I have a weak immune system, I realize, as I sit here, taking a sick day, sick with an infection I caught from my students. Will I get sick in India, I wonder? I'm exhausted. I don't know if I have the strength to do this. But I do know that God in me does.

I am going to send in my passport for my VISA today. I finally got all the things together in order to send it. I've been to the doctors for some much needed sleep medication. There's a lot of anxiety rising up in me because of student teaching, preparing to leave for India and keeping up with the dozens of other commitments I have in my life right now.

Dr. Marla Campbell, my favorite teacher from Biola, met with me and treated me for coffee. She imparted some wisdom about going overseas and teaching there. It was so great for me to process my thoughts and worries with her. God is going with me on quite an adventure, she reminded me. This is an opportunity of a lifetime that will probably go by so quickly. I am going to learn things and go through experiences I could never have gone through here. Thank the Lord, I'm excited about that!

I'm going to miss someone really special to me. My best friend, my boyfriend. He brings me to truth, points me toward God and loves me unconditionally. I'm thankful I have a Father who will show me those things especially while I'm away from everyone familiar to me. My best friend, Ruthie will also be truly missed. She meets me right where I'm at, speaks wisdom to me and comforts me in the toughest times. I'll be feeling the lack of these two loved ones. I pray that while I'm gone they will find in God a source of true joy, a refuge in times of trouble and worry.

What am I excited about? Adventure. Teaching. Meeting children from all over the world. Interacting with a British staff, and discovering ways that we relate. Making friends with fellow teachers. Spreading God's love to people in the ways He allows me to. I feel peace about it all, God is bringing me on this trip!