My First Day at Work!!

HI!

My name is Julia, I like tea, hammocks, yoga, traveling, and oh ya, helping people. That is why I am here at GVI India! I am currently assigned to the health project at Cottolongo Special School. Not only was today my first day at the school, but it was also GVI India’s first day because this is a brand new site for us! Cottolongo Special School is a school and therapy center for individuals with mental disabilities up to the age of 65. And if you would like to know what the girls and boys are like, well, they are SO full of love. They show care toward the volunteers, the sisters, and most importantly- each other.

So to start off the day at the school I was placed in the secondary student’s classroom where we worked on basic English and counting. Until today, I had forgotten how fun counting to 10 could be!  All of the students have their own vibrant personality and are not afraid to express it, even if you can’t understand them :) haha.

After lunch break James, Anita and I had roughly two hours of free/leisure time with the students. We all gathered in a commons area did the “Hokie Pokie” which was a riot! We also played follow the leader, duck duck grey duck, and ring-around-the-rosie. I can honestly say that a smile did not leave my face the whole day I was working with them! Well, except for when Anita lead a meditation/shavasana session at the end to calm all the students down, and let me tell you, I needed the break from all the smiling and laughing!

Considering everything that happened in just the first day I cannot imagine all of the wonderful, enriching, experiences that are to come! Every minute there is something new going on in India, whether it be taking a 6am yoga class in the courtyard of a local school, waking up to people singing on the street, or the random rain storms because of the monsoon. Needless to say I feel like I will never have enough time in India to experience all that it has to offer, or eat all the deliciously ripe mangos the street vendors have to offer (they might be the best thing I have ever eaten in my life, the definitely top America’s... just sayin’).

Here are some pictures of neat things. I would love to put some from the school up but it is not allowed for the sake of the students privacy and safety.

My First Day at Work!!