the bandh that brings us together

(delayed post, originally written tuesday 7.6)

After only twenty-four hours, the bus drivers' bandh has resolved itself; however, in spite of its brevity, the strike had a remarkable impact on the social infrastructure of the state of Karnataka, even in towns as remote as Josephnagar. In this regard, the bandh, organized in response to the hike in fuel prices by the leftist regional government, was successful - according to an article in the Deccan Herald (an Indian English newspaper), many major roads in Karnataka and bordering states were virtually deserted yesterday. Whether or not the National Democratic Alliance (the local ruling party) will abandon its efforts to increase fuel prices remains unseen.

My point is, it's impressive how the unification of a group of people can have such a dynamic effect on, well, everything. I point to the closing of the small school (with a primarily boarding student body) in a semi-isolated village for evidence. But again, I'm not complaining. It was nice to be able to play with the kids outside of the classroom, and even better to be able to rest.

Since we leave Josephnagar on Thursday and have plans to visit a nearby orphanage under construction tomorrow, today will be my last day teaching. I'm manning the troops alone (the other volunteers are back at the doctor's office), which is a bit daunting. By now, though, I've come to realize my strengths and weaknesses in the classroom. I'm considerably better with the older students, as I mentioned earlier, simply because the language barrier is far less concrete. This isn't to say I've neglected the younger students entirely - they're the ones I usually play with in the schoolyard.

It'll be hard to leave, no doubt. But I also don't doubt that I'll return at some point, ideally for a longer stint. My mom wasn't enthralled with my proposition of spending a gap year here, but it was worth a shot.