Little Things

It is really hard to believe that I have been back from India for over a month. As the time as been passing, I’ve been remembering all of the things that I miss.. Specifically it is all of the little things I miss.
Things like:
• Having my students stand up when I walk into the classroom and scream “Goodmorning Didi” 
• The smiles from the helper didis at school
• Fresh hot bhaji(fried onions)
• Smiles from the watchman outside the GCY office
• Having my students hand me all different types of food during lunch break
• Ease of catching a rickshaw
• Bhel
• Being able to get across the city in a rickshaw for 180 Rupees(3USD)
• The noise on the streets
• Bucket showers
• Playing cards with friends in the park
• Eating Naturals Ice Cream that my Host family brings home
• The numerous ways students have tried to spell my name(Caul, Cayal, Kayal, Khayal, Aayal,, etc.)
• The Cohort coming together twice a week for Hindi class and hanging out all day afterwards
• “Aree Bhaiya”
• Speaking Hindi with my Tabla teacher
• Mysore Masala Cheese Dosa’s at Vaishali
• The lack of traffic rules(that mean you don’t need to stop when cycling)
• Eating lunch with my fellow teachers and trying all their subhjis
• Watching someone chop the top off of a coconut and then drinking the water inside
• Walking down the street and being harassed to buy thing(I will only kinda miss this)
• Wearing Kurtas everyday
• Seeing a student, Salman, that could not write his name at the beginning of the year to reading CVC words
• Pista Katli
• Turning the lights on by flipping down 
• Nachini Ladoo
• Ass blasters
• “Horn OK Please”
• Bargaining the price down 50%
• Medu Vada and Sambar
• Getting lunch from the stall outside school for just 20 Rupees(.30 USD)
• Seeing students smiles
• My almost blind and deaf host grandfather
• Aloo Tikki Chat
• Going on day trips with my host family 
• Seeing another student, Sneha, who wouldn’t really study, and was unable to read dedicate herself to studying and be able to write amazing sentences

   

Kyle Bertram

About Kyle Bertram

Kyle Bertram is passionate about math, science, art, and culture and wants to use these passions to make a positive, lasting impact on the world. During high school she was a member of the Integrated Global Studies School(IGSS), where English, History and Art were taught with a focus on students creating their own curriculum that connected the classroom with the outside world. Kyle wants to combine her global learning from IGSS with her love of math, science and art to become an engineer and plans to use her degree to help create technologies that will help people and positively impact their lives. Kyle's goals for this year include becoming fluent in Hindi, creating a close bond with her host family, and connecting with and helping the students she is teaching. Her favorite quote is "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" - Oscar Wilde.