Students worked on superlatives this past week. They made graphic organizers describing which school subjects were 'easy', 'easier', and 'easiest' for them. 
Some girls hard at work. 
Boys showing off their handiwork.
With two weeks to go in our time at JM, I have become more reflective. I think often of the things I will miss about the school and this experience (as well as the things I will not miss, such as the potato-tomato-onion-okra masala we concoct every day for lunch).
I feel it is a guarantee, for instance, that conversations like the one I had earlier this week with a Class X boy will not occur very much once I am back in the US.
Student: Where are you from in America?
Me: Texas. (I have found it easiest to say ‘Texas’ when students ask this question because a) they are more likely to have heard of Texas and b) they have trouble pronouncing ‘Missouri’; it comes out like “Misss-er-y”.)
Student: Ah, Texas! Is it close to New York City?
Me: No.
Student: Is it close to San Francisco?
Me: No.
At this point, I grabbed a piece of scratch paper from the student’s notebook and drew a blob shaped roughly like the United States. I put dots on each coast, marking New York and San Francisco. Then, I put a dot in the triangular protuberance of the US’s underside which is Texas.
Me: Here. Here is Texas. You see? The US is very big.
Student: How far? Texas from New York?
Me: I don’t know. More than 1,000 miles.
Student: One thousand miles? Whoa! Big!
Me: Yeah, big. Do you know Texas?
Student: (shaking head) No. Not really.
Me: Texas…ummm…oil? George W. Bush? Cowboys?
Student: Cowboys? I love cowboys! Do you have a horse in America?
Me: Uhhh….no. No horses for me. Some people do.
Student: Can you ride a horse?
Me: Not really. I mean, I rode one once.
Student: How do you get around?
Me: Uhhh…most people in Texas drive…a car.
Student: Yes. Yes. Cars. And horses?
Me: Yes, some people ride horses.
In India, an American can pass himself off as a cowboy if he is from Texas. Or a movie star if she is from California. Or a rap imresario if they happen to hail from New York City. Such are the simplified but oddly charming stereotypes the students at JM have about Americans, culled from the random bits of pirated pop culture they have received from TV and the Internet.
A word of advice, then: If you ever travel to India and are from an unknown backwater like Missouri, well, just tell an Indian you’re from Texas.
OK, you knew you'd get a comment out of this post:
ReplyDeleteMom: I found this post amusing and interesting; all except the "I'm not from the unknown backwaters of Missouri" part! (All tongue in cheek, I assume. :) May I remind you that we did visit India recently, and we always said we were from Missouri. . . .of course, we have no other place to claim! Wouldn't you really rather claim Missouri native son Harry Truman instead of G.W. Bush? I mean. . . REALLY?
Dad:.....did you completely drink the Texas Koolaid? Do you go around saying " .....deep in the heart of Texas," or "...if you wanna play in Texas ya gotta have a fiddle in the band." Maybe you should take Lyle Lovett's advice..... yeah...."that's right you're not from Texas, but Texas wants you anyway!!"
AND. . . you're a graduate of Truman High School in Independence, Missouri, Harry's hometown!!! How dare you! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I knew that line would spark controversy. Yes, I was only joking. No, I have not drank any Texas Koolaid. I still love my native state.
ReplyDelete