#185, Christina Farrel and Manjul
Namaste Rajkot! I am Christina Farrell from USA. I am so proud to be associated with project Manjul from Rajkot which is running free English medium school for kids of poor families. As a part of WolfTrap performing art centre in US, and is chaired by Michell Obama, has chosen Rajkot and Manjul for me among many countries and cities.
I am feeling really lucky that I am given Rajkot city. The people here are so cooperative and supportive. I experienced lot many qualities of Rajkot people that I went and shared with my family and friends. They are so excited to visit India now. Whether it’s you, your surroundings, your experiences or the company you’re in – everything is simply richer. The highs are higher and the lows are lower. Colours are brighter, smells are more radiant, tastes are more distinctive, and music is always louder. Everything is unapologetically bold. There’s no middle-ground here. Everything is purposeful and undertaken with vibrant certainty.
Regardless of all the negatives that might persist about India in foreign and local press, the people and the culture opened up wide to me and appeared as even more civilized in spirit and aware of it on a day to day basis than anywhere else I’ve been to date. I even ate everything and drank everything the locals did without mishap or indigestion… Oh yes! It was wondrous and wonderful and it all seemed just right to me.
A simple smile is all it takes to make a new friend over here. Maybe it’s a social imperative of the cultural dynamic. Maybe it’s a consequence of their history and cultural evolution. Maybe it’s because they’ve simply adapted to become truly social creatures. At the end of the day, I don’t really know why. But what I do know is that Indians are a people that connect with people. And connect with real connections. No matter how brief or trivial, the interaction is genuine and imbued with a true sense of connectivity. Rajkotians are richer for their ability to so gracefully exist as “a people”.
As a part of project Manjul and WolfTrap, I specially designed creative, innovative methods of educating English, math and science to preschool kids. I guarantee that they loved it and would never forget what I taught them. I am so thankful to WolfTrap for giving me Manjul in Rajkot. I trained the Manjul teachers in our methods. I was so happy to create replicas in Rajkot.
When it came to depart from Rajkot, I had terrible feeling of breaking an emotional bond with the city and people. I’ll be back to Mother India for sure. I tried to control myself a lot but my eyes ditched my mind and settled with heart, made me burst into tears…
Manjul means masculine, strong and on this occasion of women’s day, I’m feeling so Manjul to be part of Rajkot for 2 weeks.
Please check her class… https://youtu.be/b-oFuvjWyXg
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