It happened suddenly in the afternoon while we were busy learning Photoshop…

Ok, the lion was paper mache; Ahkil made him with his own hands and was an accomplice in this photo shoot and trickery.

  This is January's photo in the calendar where each month depicts the outcomes of our Photoshop class. 2012 Calendars are available here:http://www.bethanyjean.com/calendars, an auspicious year, where the kids are rapidly getting tech savvy in the computer lab with their newly donated 10 computers from the Gates Foundation, a new world. Proceeds from calendar sales will go towards more art supplies for the kids , classes like Advertising Awareness, how to use the internet for research, Journalism, basic movie editing, more photoshop, and learning to grow spirulina.OUr equipment wants are: a projector, speakers, Imac, portable hardrives. Tax deductible equipment donations are possible, email me at: bjf@bethanyjean.com

 The laboratory:

Here we are working on a photo together,  the image is projected on the wall and the kids look at what I am doing as I give directions. It works really well teaching this way and since we are repeating the process over for each photo, they catch on and start working on the next thing by themselves.

Projection on the wall:

The technicians:

Ok, Here's another one , David escapes on a motorcycle with his rabbit..

This year’s chapter starts by scrolling below to the segment called Scarface in India, then move upward to the next chapter called Arrival and Sandpainting. Then read here if you want to go in sequence. Such is the blog form. To learn more about this orphanage for HIV+ children, go to this website, Living India

Or check out 2010 for my trip last year. Or leave a comment/question on this blog and I will try to answer.

 

We finally got to the part of painting and decorating the paper mache animals probably the favorite part for the kids. The animals were painted then some glitter and glam added, sparkly whiskers and noses, fancy designs. Then we went out for photo shoots. Finally the lcd projector arrived that we were able to borrow and I revealed my plan. We did photo shoots of each animal in a scene, and then each girl and boy posing in a certain way that would interact with that animal when we cut and pasted in Photoshop. This was particularly fun to show.  Up until then the kids may have thought it very odd that I had them posing against a blank white wall (makes it easier to outline, cut and copy in Photoshop). It’s like magic-suddenly a lion has his paw on you about to take a bite.

How cute is this horse?!!    please leave comments


David with his red rabbit

Roja and Rani dress up the donkey.



Ahkil with his lion beast.

Then we go outside, to the banyan tree!






The rabbits



And now for a story interlude,

A side note for a side project I’d planned. … I was successful in smuggling kefir all the way to the orphanage. Kefir grains that came from somewhere close to this part of the world, who made there way to the Hamptons, where I received them and nourished them back home in Astoria, Queens until the smuggling operation to India. Kefir is a living thingie that comes in the form of what looks like mini cauliflowers called kefir grains. They like to eat milk and form a curd, which is the part you would eat and get the benefits of powerful intestinal flora that boosts your immune system. I wanted this for the kids. When I arrived at the orphanage, we set the grains up with some fresh milk to eat.

At the orphanage they already make their own curds of yogurt, which is great, but about a tenth of the power of kefir. Also about a tenth of the taste…which is more fortunate for the yogurt and the kids. Kefir can take a bit of getting used to, so there was no guarantee anyway that the kids would actually eat this. Unfortunately, someone was in the kitchen and came across the kefir grains in the milk and thought it was yogurt gone bad. Kefir is also a little more dramatic looking when it forms its curd. The kefir was promptly taken to the garbage/somewhat compost bin where the giant crows are waiting to pick. So, the crows have just built their immune systems and will have great longevity for picking through the garbage of the future cancer free, etc.

Ah well!

and now for a yoga class interlude. Everyday at 6:30, we woke ourselves up with yoga/movement class. Vishnu was the most thorough and showed enthusiasm, so by the end I was having him lead part of class. Hopefully he continues this. Also of special note, Vamsi came to class everyday to sit and watch. He had broken his arm in two places while flipping on his bed a month ago and just had his arm taken out of the cast . He still had it curled up in a sling made of rope. Outside of class he got some massages and encouragement to move it and stretch, so by last class I had him warm up with us and do head rolls, shoulder rolls, hip stretch, and then for a big surprise he put his arms up for tree pose. I hope he does that at his next doctor visit.  The pictures were taken by Bev, who was visiting from the states and working with the smaller children. It wasn't snowing inside, just a dirty lense.


Lotus is easy- for them

Some Up Dog


Crow pose



Vishnu starts to-lead


Then he goes it alone



Vamsi with his arm out of the sling.

One more thing. We had painting classes, yes. Then planned for the wall we would paint. We decided on a mountainous nighttime scene(to compliment the sunrise mural) with a river and various creatures. Once started, it went fast. What do you think?






















The day I left was Republic day, everyone dressed up fancy and they put me in a sari. Here's me and Grandma

 

The drive was quick, Solomon my driver makes no stops. I have lunch with the kids , and instead of jumping in and having a class, Roja, Anitha, Rani, Sushmitha and Aswini show me sandpainting.
First, Roja gets some white ash to map out the design



Anitha drawing,




Ashwini,

K.Rani





notice the peanut gallery...



more to come...


OK, a new day...

6:30 am yoga, 9am drawing and painting class, 3pm same..


Roja drawing some deer and turtles.
some bears, then painting..







Vishnu's painting.


then out to jump rope!!!!









There's Double Dutch and......Triple Indian?






ok gotta go, very busy days here...

Well, starting off a new year by returning to India.....what will we do this year? For starters, I arrived in Hyderabad at 4:35 am this morning. I got to the hotel in Hyderabad, was washing my face when my door buzzer buzzed and there must have been a blindspot right where that bathroom door was open to , because I smacked into it and it had a sharp edge. Really, the picture just does not show what it looked like at first, because of course it cut across the bone and swelled up and was a bleeder . My contact here, Leela, was sending an ambulance for me at first, but I convinced her not to do that. I did end up going to the hospital up the street. By the time the doctor got to me (after I had been icing it and holding it shut) it looked like it was gluing up ok. I had thought I might need a couple stitches just to hold it. Anyhoo, looks like I'll live if I can manage to keep my distance from sharp doors.
I'll be off to the orphanage tomorrow in the morning. They don't have sharp doors, I'll be safe there.

....and a little later, the black eye is starting to form...

The housecleaning team at the Golkonda sent up some roses and a fruitplate and checked on me every hour . It was kind of funny because I was trying to sleep and the doorbell kept ringing. Everybody in the workstaff seems to know the woman who bumped her head in 502 . Over night I actually put the do not disturb sign, but i can hear people coming up to the door to check every so often.  No low profile accident here. Thank goodness an ambulance didn't come to take the ridiculous westerner to the hospital half a block up the street. Phew.



Ah well, I see the kids tomorrow

We got up at 6am to start painting because once the sun comes up and reaches over the roof of the front building, forget it! too hot.






finishing touches



and one last thing before I go, Anitha puts henna in my hair, Roja takes picture.







aches over the roof to the wall, we're done for. Tooo hot.

First there was a class with the older kids to make masks, then a couple days later we had 10 women from Hyderabad and the older kids to help the almost 40 younger ones with the paper maché..  There were more younger ones than I even realized so I had only prepped for 30 masks...so there was some scurry in the beginning to get everyone their materials.
Here's from the first class:

masks drying

Santosh jumped in to the first class, he doesn't like chaos with the younger kids...plus his buddy Vishnu was there.




the boys

the girls
  





Post Chaos


Then the decorating part, easy .

5:30 am we are off to Ghandi hospital with a bus load of kids for their checkups. A two hour ride on mostly a dirt road, speeding through bumps, bypassing bicycles, villages, cows....there is a rather large barf bucket on board that gets some use.....not a fun trip.But the government is now providing free meds for them, a very big deal.




This is on the way back, a very long day and we are making stops for groceries. This was the last stop before home. We are waiting at the side of the road while the driver is picking up supplies.


Sylvia, the house mother, sitting by the bus door.
The center of town starts to crowd up with cows and waterbuffalo....








I could have touched this one passing by my window





Then, on another day we take it easy and relax with a reflexology class

So, one class we practiced painting the sky in different moods. Here are some sunrises with the Banyan tree and then also monsoon season with the Banyan tree. I think they are great.


sunset soufflé

How about some sky....










Santosh observes class

















Chasing me with their landscapes.

Sad goodbyes at Prem Kiran, but I will have to go back, and with some new art itinerary.... just need to figure out some  logistics .
So, on to Hyderabad after spending a night in Mumbai at Umale's . I got to spend an afternoon with Vanitha and Moni, who drove me there and had lunch at Leonardo's nearby the Taj Mahal. That was fun to just have some visiting/hangout time.
In Hyderabad I met up with Joseph and Machelle and had a day to go around with them, pick up new art supplies for the kids at the  Chandrakal orphanage for kids infected with HIV and go to Golkonda, an  old muslim fort .
If you would like to learn more about the orphanage, the website is:   Living India
Machelle and Joseph are co-founders, and Living India is a non profit 501c.
They are working hard to raise money for school supplies, green energy so they can be more self sufficient, etc.  and etc. There is a donation button on their website.
Also, if anyone at their business has an lcd projector they don't need, we would put it to good use to project movies & educational programs. It's a long rainy season. And lastly, I will be looking for grants for myself to get me back there next year to do more projects!




At the top of this Muslim fortress there is a Hindu temple built now, Joseph called this 'poking the bear'.

Hyderabad is growing fast with new Microsoft and Google headquarters. High tech and low tech city.

Driving out to Chandrakal...

the orphanage .



....first class, making their names so I can remember:



Madam teacher ...

The Indian government has come out to visit to see what they do because the kids are doing well. They get free meds now from a  government agency, a big relief. There is a hospital/clinic across the street . A few years back there was a handful of children that just  started living in the hallway because they lost their parents to AIDS. That is when some action and fundraising happened  to build the  orphanage, and now there are 57 kids there. HIV education is difficult in the villages.There have been songs made for people that don't  read (there are tribal peoples in the surrounding villages, many languages) , but the virus concept sometimes just does not compute so  well. the orphanage also has more boys than girls because girls are more often kept to do housework by relatives.

They fed me with the traditional banana leaf style-papdom, greens, plaintain , chapati, curry cauliflower. Jeba feeds me and what is missing from this picture is the pile of raw carrot, beets, turnip and cucumber that comes with every meal. They know i am veg, and I appreciate it. Most of there meals are vegetarian, but it is nice to eat some raw food-
And in case you are wondering, I haven't gotten sick the whole time, except carsick on the ride out from Mumbai the first day. There's a lot of start and stop driving , those water buffalo really don't care about getting out of the way on your clock. And then there's the guy who just stops his car in the highway lane to get out and pee on the side of the road.  And coming back to Hyderabad last night, there was a roundabout that connected to another roundabout and an unfinished part of the highway that turned into a makeshift one lane dirt ramp onto another highway.
well anyway, I ate well and all is well in that department.

They also dressed me in a sari:






The balloon scavengers..