Getting to Know the Neighborhood

Over the course of the past few weeks, Lakshmi and I have had the chance to explore the village of Kadod. Many of our students, as well as the staff members of KHS, have invited us to their houses. Here are some pictures from our visits.

-Charishma

Rushabh invited us to his house for a dinner of Chole Chana and Puri. During this visit, we learned that Rushabh is an cricket expert and that while he is mild-mannered in class, he is quite the trouble maker at home!

Last Sunday, we visited Pooja and Rahul's house. After finding out doing mehandi is one of Pooja's hobbies, we promptly asked her to put mehandi on our hands. Lakshmi looks pretty excited!

The final product. Isn't that amazing?

My turn for mehandi!

Pooja and her friend posing with their moms on the front porch of Pooja's house.

Two of the hostel boys, Ashish (L) and Kuldip (R), accompanied us to Pooja's house. I believe Rahul, Pooja's brother and another one of our students, took this picture.

Ooshaben preparing our dinner of roti, rice, and subzi in the school's kitchen.

Vikrambhai, one of the members of the administrative staff, has been insisting for a while that we come to his house. So, we finally went!

Vikrambhai's wife and 6-month-old son. Isn't he adorable?

Vikrambhai with his 3-year-old daughter. I think this picture was taken after she had 2 bags of M&Ms. It turns out she's a chocoholic, just like us!

A Typical Saturday in Kadod

When Saturday finally rolled around, Lakshmi and I decided to immerse ourselves in the Kadod experience. This involved playing kho kho, a game we always see the hostel boys playing, and doing a little bit of sightseeing.

After hearing about how much all of our students like kho kho, I decided to join in the fun.

The boys in action. I think at this point, I was still trying to figure out the rules of the game.


Pritesh pauses to pose for a picture.

I think this is about the point where Lakshmi yelled out, "Tag Charishma!" Naturally, they all proceeded to run after me.

All of that running made me pretty tired. I just couldn't keep up!

Kuldip, one of our tour guides from before, sitting on his bed in the hostel. Seven boys share a room.

The 8th standard boys who live in the hostel diagonal to our bungalow. They just finished their game of kho kho and are eager to have their pictures taken.

Some more hostel boys posing for the camera. It looks like Bhargav (front and center) has been practicing his model face.

The boys got pretty excited when they saw the camera!

Here they are again, posing for a picture before dashing off to the mess hall for dinner.

After the game of kho kho, the principal's son, Yashpal, daughter-in-law, Sejal, and niece, Pooja, took us to see the low-level bridge that many students cross every morning to get to school. Many times during the monsoon season, this bridge becomes submerged under water. It seems to be a very popular hangout, as we saw many of our students there.

Yashpal, Sejal, Pooja, and I pose for a picture on the rocks, with the Tapi River in the background.

Sejal striking a characteristic pose. If you look closely, you can see the beautiful mehndi on her hands and arms.

A view of the sunset from the bridge. The end to a great day.

The Snake Show!

Last Friday, there was a Snake Show at the school! Some guys from Surat came out to Kadod, and brought along several snakes, and it was quite a sensation at the school. Almost the entire afternoon hours were devoted to setting up and watching the show. I took some photos of the event, so enjoy!

~lakshmi

There were hundreds of students patiently waiting for the show to begin. Despite the heavy clouds, it didn't rain, and it was really hot and humid. But it didn't matter to the kids--they were out for the snakes!

Most of the younger kids were on the ground, while the older kids watched from the balconies of the school.


The guys from Surat started warming up the crowd...

These students were perched up on a ledge. They were clamoring to have their picture taken, so after many shouts of "Teacher! Teacher! Our photo! Teacher!" I finally obliged.

The first of the snakes came out, and the boys were scared!

So was Charishma.

Then, they started bringing out the big snakes. This one is a python.

And here, a type of boa.



All in all, a great afternoon!

Meet Prital

Hi, friend. I am Prital. I live in Singod. Singod is a very nice village. I am a student. I am studying in 11th std. I like to hear songs and watch comedy movies. I like chocolate ice cream very much. I like music. I like to dance. I want to go to Mount Abu because it is a very lovely place. I like the Taj Mahal because the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. I am an Indian. The Indians are very helpful and kind. I love my family and I love my India. I am proud of my country. East or West India is the best!

Meet Bhavin

Hello, I am Bhavin. I live in India. India is a very big country. Kadod is my village. I am 16 years old. I am studying in the 11th science stream. I am learning in Kadod High School, Kadod. It is a very big school. I love my family. Me and my family are lively and happy. My favourite subject is English because it is an international language. All of the teachers are my favourites. I want to learn English because it is my favourite subject. I like to go for tours. I like the Taj Mahal, Mount Abu, etc. I want to become an engineer. I like to speak English. My favourite color is white. My favourite animal is the lion because it is our national animal. The parrot is my favourite bird. My favourite actor is Sahid Kapoor and my favourite actress is Amrita Rao. I am living happily.

Meet the Rajputs: Pooja and Rahul

Hello! My name is Pooja. I’m from India. I like my country. I am a student of the Kadod High School Kadod. I am fond of reading novels. I like to learn English and how to speak English because English is an international language and it is also the sweetest language.
I love my country. There are lots of holy places in my country, such as the Taj Mahal which is a wonder of the world. It is the symbol of love. The people of India are very kind and they always try to help each other.
I live in a small village named Kadod. There are many facilities in my village. I have a small family. I love my parents. I have a brother whose name is Rahul.
Oh! I forgot to tell you all about my favourite subjects and teachers. My favourite subject is maths. My favourite teachers are Mayank Teivedi and Bhavesh Desai. They are fond of speaking English.

And now about me. I like to eat ice cream, to sing, and dance to Gujarati garba and Punjabi bhangra. I want to visit all the holy places and the wonders of the world. My favourite actor is Shahrukh Khan and my favourite actress is Rani Mukharji. I want to be a pilot and I know I will succeed in fulfilling my dream. In the future, if I get lots of money, I will help those poor people who can’t get food.

Everyone should have an ambition in life. Without ambition, life is meaningless. My ambition is to be a teacher. The teaching profession is a very noble profession. The educated youth are the future of a country. The foundation of this future is laid by the teacher. My role model is our English teacher. While teaching English, he gives us a lot of knowledge in various other subjects. He is our friend, philosopher, and guide. As a teacher, I will give my students my best. I will see to it that they become good and intelligent students, and also good citizens. I will teach them the importance of discipline, honesty, sincerity, and hard work. I will educate them to succeed in life. In order to realize my ambition, I will work hard. I will try to secure good marks and get a B. Ed degree. Our great teachers have always inspired me. I wish to be a true ideal teacher.

Meet Twinkle and Rushabh

Hello everyone! I am Twinkle. I am an Indian girl. I live in Gujarat. So, it is said that I am a Gujarati. Dancing is my hobby. I also like to hear music. Shakira is my favourite singer. I am studying in the 11th standard. I have chosen the science field. In the future, I would like to be a dentist. I will treat the poor people for free. I hope that you all pray to God for me.

My name is Rushabh. I live in Kadod. I like English because I want to become an English teacher. I am in the 11th standard. My school's name is the Kadod High School, Kadod. It is a very big school. The principal of the school is Mr. V.B. Mahida. I have good teachers. All of the teachers are very kind and very strict. My favourite game is cricket because it is a very fun game. My hobbies are reading, playing, and swimming. My home is in Tekrafaliya in Kadod. There are four members in my family. My father's name is Janakbhai. He is an accountant. My mother's name is Bhavanaben. She is a housewife. My sister's name is Nirali. She wants to become a teacher. My home is very big. There are three floors. My family is a very happy family. I like my family.