Vanakkam beste nieuwsgierige lezer! Als u durft verder te lezen zal u worden meegezogen naar een verwarmende en hallucinerend avontuur samen met mij naar het magisch land, India. Mijn naam is Theo Raemen, 18 jaren oud en vol levenslust. Wegens de stopzetting van mijn studies en omdat de Belgische regeling van academische jaren per 'jaar' loopt, was ik na Psychologie een beetje verdwaald gelopen. Ik had nog geprobeerd mij in te schrijven in de Ledeganck voor een Lerarenopleiding Lageronderwijs.. maar laat ons zeggen dat de leerlingenbegeleiding van die school op niets trok en ik letterlijk met lege handen ben buiten gesmeten. Maar geen traan, geen zucht. Ik dacht "Ik maak me dit jaar nuttig, ik ga niet gaan leeglopen en weet je wat, ik ga naar India". Zoiets moest het geweest zijn, en toen ben ik maar aan de slag gegaan. Ik zocht op internet en vond ProjectsAbroad, keuze genoeg aan projecten en ik koos Project Teaching. Teaching, to teach, lesgeven m.a.w., ik zette een steunmij-potje in de dagbladhandel 't Kabientje van mijn mama en begon er mijn werk van te maken. Eens je de borg hebt betaald* krijg je je eigen 'myprojectsabroad'-site en daar kan je dan de hele organisatie van je Project volgen. Ten eerste raden ze je aan om alles eens grondig door te lezen, over cultuurshock en kortom over wat er van je verwacht wordt. Ik heb alles grondig doorgelezen en begon de Indische kriebels al te krijgen! Ten tweede laten ze je over 'de Visa en uw Paspoort' ** lezen, ten derde uw vaccinaties *** en nadat dat in orde is, dan begint je avontuur pas écht, hét doen!
De vaccinatie heeft me gebracht naar het verre Antwerpen, nl. Het instituut voor Tropische Ziekte's. Buiten de prijs krijg je een heel avontuur en zoektocht gratis en voor niets erbij! Whoehoew! Spuitjes voor polio, tyfus, hepatitis A en B, difterie en iets van een Japanse "huppeldepup" waren wat minder goedkoop!!! Maar Antwerpen is een mooie stad, zeker met kerst.
Het paspoort was een makkie dat is bij je eigen stad en een paar pasfoto's en 't is geklaard, maar mensen ... ga je ooit naar India, bereid je voor op de meest chaotische en langdurige ambassades van Elsene, te Broekzele! We hebben er drie uur gestaan om vijf minuten bediend te worden, en de vriendelijkheid was ver te zoeken. Maar het was weer een beleving meer en uiteindelijk waren de Indiers wel grappig. Onvriendelijk grappig.
Als we bij 'ten vierde' komen wordt het spannend! Ten vierde kon ik mijn vlucht**** bekijken, mijn verrijkende vlucht naar IncredibleIndiaaaaaa!
Depart
15-Feb-09 19:35
Airport
BRUSSELS
Flight #
BD 154
Airline
BMI BRITISH MIDLAND
Arrive
15-Feb-09 19:50
Airport
LONDON HEATHROW TERMINAL 1
Check in details
15-Feb-09 17:35
Depart
15-Feb-09 22:05
Airport
LONDON HEATHROW TERMINAL 4
Flight #
IT 2
Airline
KINGFISHER AIRLINES
Arrive
16-Feb-09 13:35
Airport
BANGALORE
Check in details
Depart
16-Feb-09 17:45
Airport
BANGALORE
Flight #
IT 4735
Airline
KINGFISHER AIRLINES
Arrive
16-Feb-09 19:15
Airport
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
De tijd waar ik 'Arrive' is plaatselijke tijd. Ruim geschat en opgeteld zit ik 24 uur onderweg, met de wachturen er bij gerekend.
Ten vijfde kon ik lezen over mijn 'Accomodation' en ten laatste las ik over mijn 'Placement'*****. Wat wel opluchting bracht want dat was een bewijs dat alles geregeld was en dat ik nu echt naar dat ongelooflijk interessant land ga!
YOUR PROJECT:
Name of Institution:
Baba Matriculation School
Address:
Nellai Madurai Road Kayathar Thoodhukudi District Tamilandu India
Your Supervisor:
Mr. Veera Pandian
Job Title:
Principal
Email:
N/A
Role of Supervisor:
Mr. Veera Pandian will introduce you to the staff and children, discuss your work with you and give you a timetable. He will also brief you about the school and its surroundings.
OVERVIEW:
The School is in Kayathar, a small town 30 minutes to the North of Tirunelveli on the Madurai road. It is run by Mrs. Noorjahan's Family. All the teachers speak good English and are very helpful. the childrens are very enthusiastic. Mrs. Noorjahan is the correspondent of the school while Mr. Veerapandi is the administrator and Mrs. Tamil Magal is the Pricipal. There are 16 staff menbers and about 260 childrens between the ages of 3 to 15.
LOCATION:
The school is within a 10 minutes walk of your accommodation. you will be shown around by our local Projects abroad Staff when you first arrive and Mr. Veera pandi will be happy to help you with any queries you have about local travel throughout your time with them.
This school is 2 hours away by bus from the Projects Abroad office and only half an hour from tirunelveli in the south.
KEY FACTS:
Number of Students
260
Age Range in institution
3 to 15
Age range taught
3 to 15
Average Class Size
25
Hours of work/day
3 to 4 hours
Number of Teachers
16
Type of institution
Secondary school
Other type
YOUR ROLE AS A VOLUNTEER:
Your main role is to be a classroom assistant. You will work alongside a local teacher who will be introduced to you during your placement induction. As an assistant in English lessons, you will concentrate predominantly on improving the conversational skills of the students. Your presence in the school gives students the valuable opportunity to practice their English on a native/fluent speaker. You also have the freedom to make your interaction with the students as diverse and fun as you want; we recommend that you come prepared with some ideas for speaking games and interesting conversation topics. As your placement continues, depending on your ability and enthusiasm, you may be given a more prominent role within the class.
Typical Day:
The School starts from 9am in the morning and will finish at 3.45pm, and there is an hour lunch break in the middle of the day.You will be teaching up to five periods of forty minutes each day.
Project Structure:
Your project supervisor will give you a timetable and a syllabus when you first arrive. You will be teaching up to five periods of forty minutes each day, five days a week.
Volunteers often find songs and games popular and useful in maintaining the childrens attention and in encouraging them to speak or sing in English.
Other Activities:
It is also possible to get involved in extra-curricular activities such as basketball, cricket, and football. You could even get involved with drama, classical dance and break dancing. It is best to discuss this with your supervisor when you first arrive at the placement.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION:
Name:
Noorjahan K S (Baba School+Gokulam Clinic)
Residential Address:
15, Kattabomman street, Kayathar - 628 952, Tuticorin Dt. Tamil Nadu, India
Host Tel Number (mobile):
N/a
Postal Address:
Baba Matriculation School Campus, Kayathar - 628 952, Tuticorin Dt. Tamil Nadu, India ZEND ZEKER EENS EEN BRIEF! hihi
OVERVIEW:
Your accommodation is in the heart of Kayathar. This town has services such as a bus station, a post office, internet cafes and international phone booths. Mrs Noorjahan (1961), the corresopndent of Baba School, is your host. Everyone in her family are very friendly and helpful.
Mrs Noorjahan lives with her husband Mr Shahul Hameed (1950) who works for the electricity board, their daughter Mrs Sharmila Banu (1980), their son-in-law Mr Mohamad Rfiq (1973), their son Mr Abdul Rehmman (1983), their daughter Ms Abitha Banu (1985) and their grand-daughter Perveez Afia (2004). You will eat your meals upstairs in the home of Mr Veerapandian (1960)and his family.
LOCATION:
Your accommodation is in a residential area in the heart of the town. The post office, internet cafes and phone booths are all just a five minute walk away. There is a bus stop very close by.
Tirunelveli is half an hour to the south. Madurai is two and a half hours to the north. Kanyakumari, on the southern tip of India, is a two and a half hour bus journey to the south.
LIVING IN YOUR ACCOMMODATION:
Your will be staying with a family who have a normal Indian house. The family will quickly make you feel at home and all the members speak reasonably good English.
About your room:
Your room is on the ground floor. It has two single beds and a ceiling fan. The bathroom is next to your room and has a shower and a western-style toilet. You could be sharing a room with another volunteer.
About the food:
You will be provided with three meals per day which you will eat with Mr. Veerapandian's family upstairs. The food will be a variety of South Indian dishes. South India is a predominently vegetarian area so you will be given food like Puddu, Dosa, Appam, Poori and Thali meals which contain rice, a vegetable sauce called sambar, a pepper soup called rasam, pappadam, butter-milk and vegetables. You will be given fruit and plenty of boiled water to drink.
General advice about living in this accommodation :
Smoking and drinking alcohol are considered to be cultural offences so please don't do either. Also, please do not return to your accommodation late at night or bring guests back.
*120 **50+72 ***350 en iets meer ****995 + taxen 165 *****1845
