I am going back to India to teach English in Mysore from the middle of November until the end of January next year.
The Story So Far
Last year I went to India for 17 days. I spent a fortnight visiting with my daughter Michelle on her Latitude Placement teaching in Tiny Angels school, Takdah, West Bengal way up in the Himalayas. It was a wonderful experience, made especially precious by the beautiful, gentle people there.
I then flew to Bangalore to visit the MSC priests and brothers in that region and I stayed in the Chevalier Bhavan with them. They picked me up from the airport on Friday night and treated me as an honoured guest until they put me on the plane on Monday night. I was Brother Gerard for the weekend.
During my stay I met with the rector of the postulancy house in Mysore who invited me to come and teach his students English.
Since then my wife Jenni and I have been to Sydney to meet Br Greg McCann MSC who has been teaching there. He has encouraged me to go and has made contact with the Indian officials in the MSC order to pave the way.
So, here is the plan. I have Long Service Leave from Monivae for the last three and a half weeks of the year so I plan to leave (subject to Visa and flights) on November 16, fly to Bangalore and catch the train down to Mysore. The formation house is outside Mysore so I will need to be collected and taken out there. My accommodation has yet to be finalised but I intend staying there until just before Christmas when the school shuts down for a fortnight.
Michelle and Liam are planning to come to meet me in Kerala where we will spend Christmas with our friends and do some sight seeing until school starts early January.
No, Jenni is not coming with me. She will spend Christmas with her parents.
There are many hurdles ahead but the main one is to keep my focus on school here and do all the work that will be needed to free me to get away. I am also taking on a 60 hour course about teaching English oversees. It is pretty simple stuff but it gives me a lot of resources and a document to smooth some administrative bumps.
So, here I go again.
Gerard in May
The Story So Far
Last year I went to India for 17 days. I spent a fortnight visiting with my daughter Michelle on her Latitude Placement teaching in Tiny Angels school, Takdah, West Bengal way up in the Himalayas. It was a wonderful experience, made especially precious by the beautiful, gentle people there.
I then flew to Bangalore to visit the MSC priests and brothers in that region and I stayed in the Chevalier Bhavan with them. They picked me up from the airport on Friday night and treated me as an honoured guest until they put me on the plane on Monday night. I was Brother Gerard for the weekend.
During my stay I met with the rector of the postulancy house in Mysore who invited me to come and teach his students English.
Since then my wife Jenni and I have been to Sydney to meet Br Greg McCann MSC who has been teaching there. He has encouraged me to go and has made contact with the Indian officials in the MSC order to pave the way.
So, here is the plan. I have Long Service Leave from Monivae for the last three and a half weeks of the year so I plan to leave (subject to Visa and flights) on November 16, fly to Bangalore and catch the train down to Mysore. The formation house is outside Mysore so I will need to be collected and taken out there. My accommodation has yet to be finalised but I intend staying there until just before Christmas when the school shuts down for a fortnight.
Michelle and Liam are planning to come to meet me in Kerala where we will spend Christmas with our friends and do some sight seeing until school starts early January.
No, Jenni is not coming with me. She will spend Christmas with her parents.
There are many hurdles ahead but the main one is to keep my focus on school here and do all the work that will be needed to free me to get away. I am also taking on a 60 hour course about teaching English oversees. It is pretty simple stuff but it gives me a lot of resources and a document to smooth some administrative bumps.
So, here I go again.
Gerard in May
