Teaching in Mysore 1

I have internet and phone. At last! It has only been a few days but I feel like I am cut off from the world, my world, your world.

I am situated in an idilic setting south of Mysore. Once you go towards the city it becomes bedlam but here in our secluded little hide away things are tidy and clean.

I am living as part of the MSC postulant community. There are three priest and 15 students ranging from 18 to 30.

Four of them are finishing their second year and will be moving on to Uni study in Bangalore in April. The rest are called Aspirants because they aspire to be MSC and are in their early stage.

My journey to get here was disjointed, tedious and tiresome. I stayed in my seat for most of the trip to Bangkok as I was in a window seat with a couple between me and the aisle so I watched 4 forgettable movies, drifting off to sleep occasionally.

I had to run to get from Arrivals to C8 departure gate as there was only 20 minutes between. They were waiting for me.

The trip to Bangalore for me was really strange. By then I had put my watch back 5 1/2 hours to get me onto Bangalore time and I seemed as if my day would never end.

The priests collected me from the airport at 12.30am. One of them approached me initially but I didn't see the sign with my name on it so I motioned him away. 20 minutes later they got up the courage to come and approach me again and showed me the sign. It was a joyous reunion. We laughed at the misunderstanding.

I slept fitfully and then had an enjoyable day. I walked to the local shopping centre to buy a phone and a few other things.

The next morning (Monday) I was supposed to be driven to the station but there were no vehicles available so they called me a taxi which did not come So we took an "auto" which was a hairy ride. Michelle and Liam know what I mean.

The train ride was an air conditioned 2 hour joy and Fr Immanuel was there to meet me. Fr Gerald greeted me with the students all over me when I arrived. They love me and are so happy I am here.

Fr Baskar is away so I am using his room. It has a shower (bucket with warm water in the evening) and a toilet. They do everything for me. My dirty clothes disappeared yesterday and came back washed and ironed.

The food is India but very nice. They get me special things. Today I had lady fingers grown in their garden and an apple smoothy.

Next week when I come back from Cochin I will be staying with the sisters of the Church up the road and will travel by motor bike. That will be different.

My plans for Kerala are in place. I catch a train on Saturday at 6.45am back to Bangalore. I catch an airport bus then fly to Kochi where I will be collected by Fr Tijo. I will stay at the Novitiate Saturday night and then find the Hotel Sunday. On Tuesday I fly back to Bangalore and then a bus to Mysore from the airport.

It seems a round about way but it saves a long, overnight bus trip.

My teaching is going very well. There are other people here to provide the teaching of grammar and such. My job is to promote spoken English. Some are very good and need only a small amount of teaching and coaching. Them I am pushing (listen to me after 2 days) to use more complex ideas. Others, particularly the Tamil students, need a lot of help. I sit in prayers with them and wince at some of the pronunciations. Then I remember they are speaking in a foreign tongue and I resolve to keep teaching them.

With the exception of the weekend, I will stay here till just before Christmas and then start heading west.

(Br) Gerard