Today our wonderful volunteer from London left after 1 month of helping us immensely, with our reading project, writing, and just letting the kids learn how to understand a person from London's English!

She was very kind and decided to pay for the children to visit the Nehru Science Museum to watch an IMAX-like film about wildlife in the Serengeti, as her last-day present.

So, we piled all the kids into taxis and headed to the science museum. When we walked into the building, the children clanked their shoes onto the polished tile floor with great gusto, and oooh-ed when we all quietly entered the theatre - a small theatre with a screen that covered both the wall in front of us, on the sides of us, AND above us.

When the lights went out, the kids were all excited..... then the beginning of the film came. The introductory scenes were way bigger than life, and the sounds boomed through the theater. That would have likely gone over smoothly, except that the images confronting the children were dizzying views of wildebeast migrations and lions and vultures eating dead carcasses - within about 30 seconds, about a third of the kids were crying and whimpering!!!

I sat two girls on my lap and whispered "It's just a movie, it's okay!" We pointed at the animals and they said whatever came to mind... they were settling down. Then I looked behind me and saw little Khushi - a delicate, lovely girl whose smarts will carry her far. She looked like she was ready to puke, so I put the other two girls down and went up to have Khushi sit on my lap. She immediately calmed down, and asked me "Didi, what is this?" I told her the same thing, that it's just a movie, and to look at all the animals. (Screen showing pouncing lions, wandering zebras, big-teethed crocodiles).

The rest of the hour-long show went about the same, with the kids pointing out the animals and unsure of what to do when a lion ate something. Everyone smiled for one boy when a cheetah came on-screen --- every single time he is asked about animals in class, he proudly states that CHEETAH! is his favourite animal. He pronounced it when the animal came on the screen too.

As a lion was feasting victoriously on one unfortunate baby deer, Khushi said softly in my ear, "Didi, lion eats children?". "No, no, his favourite food is deer and wildebeast - he doesn't like children to eat!"

So, in the end, we discussed with the children this:

"Did all the animals you saw have babies?"

Kids: "Yes!"

"Did all the animals eat food?"

Kids: "Yes!"  "Didi LION!!"

"Yes, so what is the lion's favourite food?"

Kids: "Deer!" "Buffalo!"

"That's right - a lion also needs to eat because it gets hungry - so, it takes a small animal to eat. Is that okay?"

Kids: "Yes, okay".

"Did you like the movie?"

Kids: "Yes!"

Meanwhile, Khushi's face is twisted and she is pointing her thumb down: "Didi, I don't like lion!"

Well, I don't think they'll forget their "London Didi"'s gift!

Standing in front of my first-graders on Friday, I ask them what the rules of taking tests are.

As usual, many of them raise their hands. One little girl states that we should "not look at friend's paper". Someone else reminds us that we do "not talking".

Then one bright, innocent boy raises his hand, and I call on him. He states, very animatedly and with actions, that
we should not drop our pencil or eraser on the ground, (he demonstrates), then stand up to get it and meanwhile, glance
at our friend's paper (demonstration again).

I look at my co-teacher who is sitting in the back of the room grading papers, and neither of us can contain our laughter
as this seemingly simple technique had never crossed our minds!

These little kids are getting smarter by the day!