Questions from Mrs. Dana's class
1. What exactly is dal?
Dal is a bean "gravy" that is usually made from lentils or other similar beans. It is often somewhat soupy. It can be yellow or brown. It often has green peppers and onions in it.
2. What is the currency? What could you buy with the equivalent of $10?
The currency is rupees. If you have 100,000 rupees it is called 1 Lakh. $10 is worth about 600 rupees. We went out to an "American" style cafe last weekend and had 2 pizzas nachos, dessert, coffee and bottled water and it cost 1000 rupees. A taxi ride from our flat to Gangtok is about 30 minutes and costs 200 rupees for 4 people or 50 per person. A coke costs 40 rupees and a small bag of chips is 10 rupees. There is a separate symbol for the rupee like $ but I can't find it on the keyboard!
3. What are some different sports played there that aren't popular here?
Cricket is very popular.
4. How close to China are you?
We are less than 50 miles from Tibet, China, Nepal and Bhutan. However the area is so mountainous it can take three times as long to cover the same number of km as if we were on flat terrain. For example, it took us 6 hours to go to West Sikkim last weekend where if it had been flat it would have taken about 1.5-2 hours.
5. How far from New Delhi are you?
We are a 2 hour plane ride plus 6 hours in the car. If we took a train it would take about 17 hours plus a 6 hour car ride. By car it would take 26 hours so it is kind of like driving from Portland, Maine to Miami.
6. Has the heat wave impacted you?
Here in Sikkim it is cool and rainy. The humidity hovers around 95%. If we get sun, which is rare, it can be quite nice in the 70's. Jeans and a light shirt are usually the right attire for the weather. In Delhi it was so hot it is hard to describe. It felt like an oven. Dara got heat exhaustion bordering on heat stroke. She almost fainted and threw up twice. We were lucky we did not have to take her to the hospital. The temperature was 112 degrees (about 44 Celsius). I read that a human can "boil" in their own skin at 48 Celsius.
7. What questions do Maria's friends have for us about school or teenage life in U.S.?
What are lockers for and why do student use them? The students were very surprised at how much talking was going on when we Skyped. It is not like that here! Respect for the teacher and quiet is a huge issue. This is so much the case that I think the students were hesitant to offer any questions.
8. What has been hard for you to adjust to? Not enough toilet paper and no way to do laundry. The school laundry service takes 3 days. Even if we wash our own clothes by hand, it takes 3 days for them to dry due to the humid wet weather! Also we are always worried about having clean bottled water to drink. I have started "making" my own water by boiling it and using a camping UV light to sterilize it.
9. What's one thing that you like in India that's different from our typical life / culture? Everything is cheaper here! (says Maria)
In school penmanship is very important and students who don't have neat handwriting are looked down on. Also students are taught typing skills and can type very quickly and accurately by 8th grade. This has been surprising to Maria and Dara.
10. Does everyone have a smartphone?
All adults have one and many of the older kids. Younger kids (6th grade and younger) don't have phones.
11. Do students use digital devices for schoolwork? In school? Does everyone have access to a computer?
All the classrooms are completely digital-free. All work is handwritten and a chalk board is used. There is a computer lab with about 18 IBM computers that students use. Upper school students -- 9th grade and older-- often have their own computers they use in the library.
12. Is it hard for you not having a reliable internet connection?
Is it difficult in your apartment with no internet? YES I am dying without internet (says Maria).
13. Is there recess at the school? What are some typical games?
Yes three times a day. Younger kids play a game coco and wall touch at recess. A lot of games are made up. Older kids play basketball or volleyball or just talk to each other at recess.
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