There is so much I could choose to talk about in this blog. My days here have been packed. I feel like I should mention everything or nothing at all, since summarising won’t do it justice nor give as vivid an impression as I feel is necessary. Also, writing words has never been my strong point (- I’m a musician not a journalist!) Still, I would very much like to share some of what I’ve done and seen so far, while I sit on my bed struggling with word choice, structure, punctuation, spelling and the digestion of my lunch.
I’ve been placed at two branches of the Bridge Academy of Music although my Wednesdays are spent at MusicTek. I have very much enjoyed teaching there. My students are all extremely eager to learn and almost shockingly respectful. I have had a lot of encouraging and kind feedback which really makes me feel like my efforts are worthwhile! I have a wide range of students, from first ever lessons to diploma level, from 5 to 55 years of age and a few that have special needs or disabilities for example I am teaching a blind man and am finding it hugely interesting adapting my approach to being purely aural and physical. I am also teaching several of the teachers and am hoping to do some workshops with the teachers. Many of the teachers are sitting in on my lessons, though I do wonder if it wouldn’t be more constructive for them if I were to sit in on their lessons instead, as this would allow me to give the constructive feedback on their teaching style from first hand experience of it, as opposed to assumptions I’ve made based on teaching their students. I have noticed that the students who share the same teacher often also share the same strengths and weaknesses. With many of the students I was able to correctly predict (silently in my head) who taught them based on their playing technique, repertoire and general approach to the instrument and lessons.
Of course, I realise the opportunity to learn about Indian music traditions while I’m here, not just teach my own western classical music as if it is the only tradition worth learning. So, I am attending lessons in Hindustani singing. My teacher has an incredible voice. He’s taught me so much about Ragas and has given me very challenging exercises to do. Also, meeting Parimal was also really inspiring. He told us a huge amount about Indian Classical music and performed to us on his sitar for about an hour or maybe more. I don’t know, I totally lost track of time. I found his playing to be very medicinal and moving. We also played to him on his piano. It was a really lovely exchange of music. He says he’ll help me find some table to buy. His wife also cooked us dinner with which I stuffed myself silly, as per usual.
The food here is amazing, if not slightly dangerous as a few of my fellow WAMers have proven. (I have been fairly lucky in not getting a serious Delhi Belly, though I am tempting fate by writing that.) I must say I have eaten about as many lentils as I think is humanly possible and although dal is delicious I am looking forward to having a good old baked potato with cheddar cheese and baked beans, when I get home!
The people that work at the serviced apartment I live in are very friendly and warm, but when the boss is around they pretend like they've never spoken to me. They work so hard and always want to serve me, which actually makes me a little sad. I just want them to chill out a little while I change my own sheets or take my own dishes into the kitchen. I’m not used to so much service. One of them, a 14ish year old, doesn't even get paid, he just gets to live here and sleep on the floor of the reception with two of the other employees.
I’ve loved sightseeing and walking around random places, tombs, ruins, temples, markets, but there is so much more left on my to do list. It isn’t so much the heat, but the humidity, which makes your batteries run out (and ankles itch- I HATE MOSQUITOS!!!) which means you can’t always pack in as much as you’d hoped. there is so much more to see and month won't suffice. I will have to come back again and do more then.
There are many food markets scattered around Delhi as well as handicraft markets. They have so many beautiful things: fabric, silverware, marble, jewelry, shishas, clothes, cutlery and plates, spices, paintings, little instruments, lampshades made of seashells, food, fruit and veg, figurines, henna, shoes, teas, etc. They are amazingly colourful. I haggled a beautiful piece of fabric down from Rp1500 to Rp400. I thought that was quite the success.
I find Delhi to be full of contradictions. It is beautiful and revolting, it’s extremely rich and even more poor, it is multicoloured and a dull orange-brown. It is struggling but also flourishing, it is fast and furious but also calm and slow, honest and mischievous, society is so sectionalised but everyone has a sense of unity and knows their place, it is alienating and comforting.
I have seen:
Men meditating in the middle of motorways
People who will find anything a suitable sleeping place often in the most bizarre contorted positions
Women dressed in loose fitting flowing fabrics doing heavy-duty manual work on construction sites
Children operating heavy machinery
Little monkeys crossing the roads in huge packs carrying their babies or big monkeys crossing the road by swing on electrical wires overhead
Slums next to amazing very wealthy high-rise buildings
Cows casually strolling down the motorway and them literally being the only thing that is not being honked at. By the way the very complex language of “HORN PLEASE” (cars honking) is by far the most widely spoken language in Delhi.
A guy sitting on top of the tarpaulin covering the back of a truck collecting water with it in the monsoon rain and using it to wash himself whilst the truck drives along and slaloms from lane to lane.
6 lanes of traffic in a 4 lane road.
15 odd people rammed inside an auto-rickshaw, entire families on one motorbike and people clinging on to the back and sides of buses
The list goes on and on…
I can’t believe it’s almost to the halfway point of this trip; I’m definitely going to have to plan another India trip.
I’ll hopefully find time to write and update all of you blog readers again soon.
Namastē
Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment