Friday, 6th December

A very busy day all round, I think. I played my guitar for the two nativities, morning and afternoon. The morning session was completely crazy, for First to Fifth Standard (Four to ten year-olds). The choir seemed to forget that I was there at all and began to explore their own interesting variations on We Three Kings, leaving me jumping around the fret-board like a madman. The teachers sang their songs very well, of course, well but loudly. I'm slowly getting used to the style of singing, to the untrained ear it is just a lot of shrill shrieking that seems to have more emphasis on the volume and enthusiasm than any sort of tune. But it is the enthusiasm that is important, especially at Christmas.

C. sat on the edge (at the front, naturally, so anyone who was bored could watch him...) with my camera – I hope he's got some good memories for me. The discipline is along St. Andrew's lines again, very attractive young teachers attacking small children with wooden rulers and we know them! It's so strange being us, you get to see both sides of the staff. The kids only seem to see one side – the bad one.

There was a near riot when Father Christmas turned up, did a lot of funny stuff (I think – it made Them laugh anyway – he had a translator and spoke gibberish) and threw some sweets into the audience before the staff could stop him. It was reminiscent of some of the more embarrassing rugby games I have been involved in. The power went off a few times and once when a little girl was trying to dance. She was really nervous and seemed to be terrified when the power went off, she didn't know whether she should carry on or stop, or what (Aah!) But everyone was very kind to her. The afternoon performance was much more sedate with the seniors on much better behaviour...

...

Nic's here! We waited for an hour or so and she got here okay. Everyone came round for a good stare and to ask each other what her name was. They're Indian men, remember – don't like talking to girls. We took her to meet the young ladies at St. Andrew's (who incidentally, I think like me better now that I've shaved off the dreadful goatee I was experimenting with. It looked stupid – my dad says it makes me look gay, but I had to try it, didn't I? They talked to me a lot more tonight!). We taught them Shalom, a basic round - Shalom, my friend; Shalom, my friend; Shalom, Shalom. Until we meet again my friend; Shalom. It means Peace, don't you know - well I taught them really, but C., Nic and I sang it through first.

We seem to have got ourselves an established way of sitting, C. with his little group of infatuates and me with the rest. We divided them into two and tried Shalom as a round. My side was good and strong, but the others got lost ('Ah, smug mode!'). It also worked when I divided my gang into two, but I think C.'s crowd found it difficult. I offered to swap sides, but they weren't very enthusiastic so I didn't labour the point. Hopefully I will eventually get them on my side, C. reckons it's because he's spent more time with them. We'll see, I think he's probably right but I might be able to get a choir out of them before long.

More Surya food for us tonight, I think we'll be okay! I'm not sure I like Nic's English For Foreigners, she has an Indian accent! It sounds so weird. We try to pronounce things clearly, but not to change the sound. She has been here for two months and has hardly learned any Tamil, but I think that is more a result of living with Europeans all the time than any lack of effort on her part. We are forced to try and learn some things, especially when they talk about us all the time! We are immersed in Tamilians, there are no foreigners in Ramnad at all apart from us.