It seems that my time at the orphanage is already coming to a close. Tomorrow evening I will get the train from Katpadi to Bangalore and the the next morning is my flight to Dubai. It's bitter sweet...it's been so nice to come back here and yet it's always hard to leave.
Though I have a visit with my "lil bro" Naif in Dubai, a new job, and seeing Patrice and all my Bay Area friends to look forward to, it's still heartbreaking to leave these kids. They want/need so much attention and it's hard not to feel like there's so much I could teach them.
From playing basketball with Raghul and teaching the younger boys how to hold the ball to shoot, to painting the wall in the library with Avinash and all the older girls as company and moral support, to teaching a few model lessons in the school...it' has been such an enjoyable return visit.
I don't feel ready to leave India yet. The travels before I landed here at the orphanage were so full of adventure, the unknown and therefore exciting, the new and challenging. It's hard to believe that it has been a month since I left home. And yet...there are so many things I'm looking forward to!
It's almost time for summer to come to an end and start back to work, but for now, this evening - it's time to relax and play! All my work and projects here are finished. I'm a huge hit among the kids for no other reason than for my "magic camera." Patrice gave me one of the most thoughtful gifts for my birthday...a mini Polaroid camera to take pics of the kids and be able to give them immediately, and he was right on, they LOVE it!!!
I hope you all are doing well and to catch up soon after I get back stateside in about a week!
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| Avinash and I working on the painting in the library! |
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| This is Raghul in the center!!! |
Kate, these are gorgeous posts and pictures. I'm making my way down.
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