MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I can honestly say this has been the weirdest Christmas I’ve ever had- it was sunny, I was surrounded by happy children, mosquitoes and sat by a pool in the blazing sunshine. I had been dreading Christmas slightly; I love the white Christmas’ at home, going to the German market with my friends and watching rubbish on TV, being so far away from home seemed a little bit depressing but I had a really nice day.

First things first though. Me and Fidra had been working hard ever since we got back from Maduri to put the school nativity play together. I was a bit apprehensive about it, I’m involved with a drama group in the UK but trying to direct a play here with 30 blind children who speak English as a second language…IN TWO WEEKS seemed like the school was asking the impossible. Rehearsals were going so well and on the day of the performance I was excited to get started. Aha, but nothing here is ever easy is it?  Teacher came over and told us that there were to be four dances and around ten songs added to the play that we had no idea about. Oh dear lord. So the play turned into a bit of a shambles with me and Fidra trying to lead everyone on and off stage around various dances, at one point we got stuck behind a crowd of angels and just had to crouch in the stable with Mary and Joseph.

Mary: What are you doing here Anna Madam? You weren’t in the Bible

Me: No, I know that, thank you Mary.

Mary: Madam…Are you trying to be a sheep?

It’s funny now. At the time not so much, I so badly wanted it to go well but it was just a bit of a shambles. 

The kids enjoyed themselves though which is the most important thing and the little ones did look very sweet in their outfits!

Somebody thought it would be a good idea to leave me in charge of Jesus

On stage chaos!! 

The tired teachers in their christmas saris and tinsel! 

Sicheran and Ashvinnie loved the tinsel. Who couldn't love that face! 

My family arrived on the 20^th- when I got the phone call saying they’d arrived I pretty much ran to the hotel to meet them. There was a little bit of crying, four months is a long time not to see the people who are most important to you. We brought them back to the school and all the kids went crazy trying to say hello to Anna Madam’s family.

Fidra’s Uncle was coming to see her for the day and by coincidence he ended up staying just across the hall from my family in their hotel so it was lovely to meet him. On the 21^st we decided to take everyone to see Charminar and a light show. I’m glad Dad was paying; the taxi would have cost me a whole month’s wages! It felt very weird after living so independently for a month to suddenly have my parents paying for everything and looking after me again! But it was nice in a way too. We had a good time at Charminar and got there just in time to see the sun go down.

Aw Dad I love you 

Charminar is so pretty at sunset

Then we all went to the light show back in the city centre. That was very funny, it was packed when we got there but after the first 10 minutes half of the seats were empty! This became a bit of a theme and I still don’t understand why Indian’s leave so early especially when they’ve paid the ticket fare to get in. The show was okay, very Indian lots of Bollywood music and dancing. Then we decided to get a boat out to the Buddha statue in the middle of the big lake here. The statue was huge! How they managed to hoist it up onto the plinth is beyond me and it was so lovely to see it close up after all this time.

Sadly Fidra’s Uncle had to leave early on the 22^nd L But as Sunday was mine and Fidra’s day off from teaching so we took the family out to the seven tombs and the Golconda fort here in the city. We had such a nice day! The tombs were just beautiful and it was so sad that they weren’t taken care of properly. They were beautiful and we had a lovely time going for a wonder round.

Tourist photo! 

Next we headed over to the Golconda fort- it’s a world heritage site so Dad was eager to visit. It was lovely but we had to climb so many stairs to reach the top! I don’t think Mum appreciated it!

I don't think Mum was very happy at the thought of those stairs! 

400 stairs over and done with! The view from the top was pretty nice though. 

The fort was lovely but most people were too busy taking photos of us to notice. I've never known being white to be such a novelty! I think William got a bit annoyed with everyone taking photos of him but I've been here for four months now so I'm not so bothered by it any more.

We went for food and then came back to the fort for the light show in the evening. It was really nice and I learnt loads about the fort but all the Indian visitors decided only to stay for the first ten minutes. 

Before I knew it Christmas Eve had rolled around! I still didn't feel very christmassy but it was so lovely to have the family around. Mum and Dad had decided to treat me and Fidra for Christmas and booked us a room at their hotel. Proper beds! Hot showers! Good food! I can't tell you how good a hot shower feels after four months of washing your hair under a freezing cold tap in the mosquito box I call a bathroom!

I had such a lovely Christmas! We had a very chilled out day by the pool and ate in the hotel. Such a lovely chilled out day and I love my new Kindle fire! It's going to make my travelling so much easier when I dont have books to lug about! Thank you family!

Enjoying relaxing by the pool for Christmas day! 

Indian Santa! 

In the evening we went to the school to see the children and they were having a party so that was lovely and I got to give my Christmas gifts to some of the staff. My Dad gave the blind balls that were donated to him in the UK to the school. The children have been playing with them this week and I have been using them in my lessons to hold the kids attention while we study for exams. You can only answer the question if you have the magic talking ball! They love that and it's been so helpful with my very youngest classes so THANK YOU! 

I hope everyone at home had as lovely a Christmas as I did and you weren't too cold!!! It was amazing having my family come to stay- it really wouldn't have been the same without them and I want to thank Fidra my partner here for being so supportive, I know how difficult it must of been not having her family here. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

(Sneak preview: next blog will be after my two week holiday to Rajesthan, get ready for camel festivals, sleeping in the desert, more strange food, six days on a train (!) and zip wiring from a huge fort!!!)