Notes from Delhiground I

I have now completed my second week of teaching in Delhi and am honestly struggling to find the right words to describe my experiences here so far. My life has been so full in every dimension that it is very difficult to decide where to start writing from. One simply has to experience India for themselves, words are not enough to explain in full some of the unique moments I have had in these past two weeks. Still, let's give it a try...

I am enjoying a busy teaching schedule, working every weekday with students of varying levels and ages. Along with individual lessons I have also been leading music theory-aural training and music history classes for groups. I work with the regular teachers of the school and will soon start holding teacher workshops to respond their specific needs. Asha School has a very welcoming, friendly staff always trying their best to provide me with a comfortable work environment. Regardless of their skills and training, all my students are extremely hard-working, disciplined and enthusiastic.

I am still finding enough time to go sightseeing around Delhi. So far I have seen some amazing examples of Moghul architecture such as Humayun's Tomb, Qutb Minar - a huge complex of mosques, tombs of Moghul royalty, and schools, and Lal Qila - the Red Fort. Along with the other WAMers I had the chance to travel to Agra and see Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort.

Here, all contradictions and oppositions find existence next to each other. There is no option of filtering things out in India and you just have to embrace everything altogether. Smells of unknown herbs, spices and incense sticks and roasted chana (chickpeas), insistent shopkeepers desparate to sell you anything (ranging from peacock feathers to mini chess sets and children's clothing), old-fashioned yellow-green rickshaws, fabulous traditional food with mysterious dressings & gravy, powercuts & traffic jams, Monsoon rain and mosquitoes, cows goats monkeys rats bats...

tbc

Firat A.

WAM Delhi 2010