"If thrown with passion, even a rock can make a hole in the sky." -Hindi proverb (supposedly)

My school is absolutely wonderful. Seriously, I don't really know how to articulate everything that has happened. So the school itself is called Government Pragya Chakshee Secondary Blind school. There is another school for specifically the deaf about 7 buildings down, but I have never been inside. The school is funded through the government, but I have no idea how they make ends meet. They pay for everything here... 3 meals a day, beds, hygiene stuff. It's so much when u add it up. The school takes in blind students, both boys and girls, from ages 6-4. They will then attend the school until they have graduated from the 10th class or turn 21. Most of the students come from the outside villages around Udaipur, so there is a hostel built for the boys so that they can stay during school months. Overall, a little under 70 boys attend the school.

I say boys because I haven't seen any girls at the school, although they are allowed to attend. The reason for this is that they don't have a dorm for girls. girls from the villages are unable to live there, so they only time I will see them (if any are enrolled this year) will be during classes.  Classes technically don't start until tomorrow (so this coming week I will have more of a job to do) but I have gotten to know many of the kids so far. Names are hard, because they are so different to me, but I am learning pretty quick. And I write everything down. So far, I have seen one class, learned quite a bit of Hindi, and watched the boys play cricket. Yes, they play cricket. I didn't believe it at first when they told me, but they have a ball with beads in it. They can hear it when it is rolling towards them so they know where to hit/catch it. It's super impressive. I also promised them I would play a game with them tomorrow.... I may or may not be regretting that decision thoughP, because some of them are really good. And it's really hot. Ehhhh. (btw, weather is called mosom in Hindi. Therefore, you can say awesome mosom... And then you can make 10 blind boys laugh. Just FYI) They also think it's really funny to teach me Hindi. About 4 of the boys speak English very well so they are able to translate my questions to the masses.

They ask a ton of questions like "what is America like? Are there blind schools? Have you met Obama? Why aren't you married?" I am falling very much in love with all of them. It blows my mind, though, how smart these kids are. Like think about that... To learn 3 languages (Hindi, English, and Braille) without ever seeing them... I have no doubt that some of these kids are brilliant! The one in charge of the school is a man named Vire Virenji, who is also a teacher of music and has been blind from birth. He is a genius. He is a composer of music (story about this later), and intellectual on politics and philosophical things, fluent in English, and LOVES the boys at the school. And the boys love him just as much. They actually flock him.


Three things about I have to say before I tell you this: 1) the boys often pace up and down the outside shaded hallway since there are not a lot of places to walk. 2) in India friends of the same gender hold hands. So like grown men will be walking down the street holding each others hands. No big deal, it's part of the culture. Fingers laced and everything. Bromance abounds. 3) envision  like a kung fu master.... White robes, a staff, perfect posture, wish words... Thats pretty much Vire.  So, Vire will be walking up and down the hallways and like 15 boys will be trying to hold on to him, get close to him, or even just listen to him. It's really quite precious..... And I took a picture don't worry. All the boys just cling to him, and it's obvious how much he has changed their lives. It's really quite something. Anyway, it's about 11:40 here... So it's wayyyy past my bed time of 10. I'll be sure to let you know how first real day of school and cricket went.  Oh and about the quote for the title of this post.... Today I met a couple who work for a nonprofit... That work with bengal tigers. Yup tigers. Oh the people u meet while traveling... Anyway the man quoted this as why he is motivated to do things he is passionate about. That maybe someday even impossible things will be a reality, that he will make a dent in the world, if he continues to do things he is passionate about. I found it fitting :) okay, the Mosquitos are attacking my iPad screen. Night