Rainy Delhi

The day before yesterday, when we'd left the hospital, we decided that Saturday would be our sightseeing day in Delhi. Well, this plan didn't quite work out as we hoped. Heavy rain made it almost impossible to leave the apartment. We still managed to get out just before three in the afternoon.

For me the most interesting thing to see today was a school, where Juneli, the granddaughter of the farm project starter, goes to. In the morning I read parts of a book that explains the school's view on learning. The book is called Psychic Education and it explains the pedagogical thoughts of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. I might order it when I'm back in Germany. It has many similarities to Montessori-schools and other reform-pedagogical concepts I'm familiar with, but it is spiced with (more apparent) Indian philosophy and spirituality.

The school building itself was something quite amazing. All the classrooms are open to the corridors. There are only a few doors in the whole big building and there are areas without a roof every now and then. Hanging plants are growing all over and the roofless areas have a tree growing in the middle. Here are three pictures: picture 1, picture 2, picture 3.

After seeing the school, we took a bus to Dilli Haat, a bazaar, where every Indian state has its own food and crafts huts. We weren't really hungry, but we had some samosas with coffee while waiting for the rain to stop. From there we walked back for an half an hour and then took a bus back to the apartment.

Back at the apartment it was time to say goodbye and thank you for our hosts. They will take care of our patient for at least another week. He is anxiously waiting to get back to the farm. Since I'm leaving the farm on Tuesday, I had to say bye to him as well. He was very grateful for me helping him. I told him that I was happy to pay forward the good things done to me by others during my stay in India so far and said that I saw many things that normally tourists don't get to experience.

It's now 5 am Sunday morning and Niraj and I are sitting in a taxi going to Anand Vihar train station. Our train departs in one hour and arrives six hours later in Kathgodam. I'm looking forward to getting back to the farm. It's a lovely place and I'm seriously considering coming back there for a week or two before I return home.