Hurry Up and Wait...

We have done a lot of 'hurry up and wait' since we have been in India. The thing about India is there are many important jobs to do that rely on other people and things falling into place. The last 48 hour we have tried to start or finish several daunting tasks, however materials (and people!) have caused us to take a step back, re-evaluate...and wait.
Ex. A (set up like a true IB student): The Goat Farm Fence. Two days ago, Harry, Katie, Matt and Josh set out to go put up a new fence for the goats (yes, there is actually a goat farm on FFC property). We were told everything was ready to go, they just needed a few hands to get the job done. This was not the case. Nothing was there and nothing was ready. Instead we beasted out an entire house worth of sweeping, painting and glass breaking (long story...we'll show you the video when we get home). After lunch, we returned ready for action to complete the job, but found that the freshly painted house was being used as a lunch room. This allowed us time to play with the younger boys (see pictures at the bottom), and after a while, get the house cleaned up.
Ex. B : The Screens. After the guest house had been painted and freed from all the broken glass we were told that we needed to screen the windows with mosquito netting with the help of the carpenter. Once again Harry, Max, and Jackson were told that everything was ready to go, but alas, it was not. They told us to watch as they cut screens for hours. This has now gone to the bottom of our priority list.
However, do not negatively connotate 'hurry up and wait.' Everything moves at a different pace here and that pace is a rushed sort of mellow giving one time to experience the immense amount of love and beauty we are surrounded by in this country. 'Hurry up and wait,' is something that we would love to experience more often back home because it allows one to stop and smell the roses.
New Topic
WE CONQUERED THE WALL FOR GLORY!!! If you haven't already heard the front of FFC has been stripped of all of its plaster (thanks to the beasts) using shovels and picks. It is currently being cemented (another example of hurry up and wait all together, but we're not going to get into that) and we hope that it will be dry and ready for painting while we are still here.
Gym class is a lot different here. Harry, Katie, Matt and Ms. P spent an afternoon with all of the younger boys and the Sports MASTER. Gym for them involved running around in circles one way... and then the other way. It also involved some yoga-like stretches and backflips. But our favourite parts were taking on the roles of our favourite pro-Wrestlers and photo shoots (which involved more exercise than you'd think.)
This afternoon we ventured out of Potanur (where FFC is located)into the more urban environment of Coimbatore. This is the closest major city in the state of Tamil Nadu. Aside from the heat (Jackson says today was even hotter than when he posted his blog) being hassled to buy, we had an incredible experience. We visited a Westernized grocery store (MOLLY! WE FOUND TIM TAMS! YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THEM!) and an Indian craft store. After having ice cream, we went to a beautiful Hindu temple. Inside was a real elephant who, when given rupees, would bless you by touching your forehead with it's trunk. Ashes were swiped across our foreheads and we were given leaves. It was a very spiritual and inspiring experience, one that we won't soon forget.

'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might just miss it' - Ferris Buler



- Katie and Harry