BLOG 15

January 28th, in which a small miracle occurs, of a gate-fixing nature, and we make a shocking discovery.

The last two days have been hectic with meetings of one sort or another, as inevitably happens with our visits in the last days. It has felt as if a new committee was being formed every day if not twice daily. On top of that we were up at 5 for an invitation to a wedding breakfast at 6, just outside Katpaddi. We attempted to wear our least grubby and worn clothes and not to look like poor old visitors from England. Pam narrowly escaped having to wear her clown outfit, made out of an old sari of Selvi's. We more and more feel at the mercy of our hosts and friends here, in terms of having to dress up, accept invitations, stand still for flowers in the hair, eat massive meals like geese in a French liver- fattening programme, etc. Two of us at least have been resolving to take lessons in assertiveness before our next visit. Though, realistically, how much good would it do us? So maybe best to just go, uncomplainingly, with the flow....

As we approached the wedding the Very Important Guest, the chief minister, was just leaving in a blare of vehicules and police escort. His face adorns the entrance to the very smart marriage hall and the invitations. That would so seriously hack me off, if I was the bride. He isn't a very attractive man either, being 'somewhat fatty' in the face, and pictured grinning. I guess we were even more jaded, having heard Govindaraj on the subject of how corrupt he is.

Inside the hall was a bit like a film set, with cameras on enormous cranes and television screens all around the hall. The bridal party looked like Bollywood actors and had evidently stood for many hours having photos taken. As Selvi said, here was much money and very grand, but no culture. It seemed that all the traditional bits of the wedding had been skipped and replaced by a flash visit from the Minister and filming. The groom has a good job in Oman and the bride too is highly educated and has a lecturing job. We then moved into the hall where rows of tables and benches were laid out for food and we were served the usual South Indian meal, slopped onto our plates in a school meal type way, by men bearing silver buckets.

Fairly speedily we made our exit, but then had to wait a small while for Selvi, who it transpired had whipped back into the hall and as she said 'borrowed' bags of sweets and dosi from the feast, for us to eat for our supper. How very different from our own home customs..

I then went into school, whilst poor Pam, drawer of short straw, went back to Vellore with Selvi and - oddly we thought- Arul. As Pam said, going to Vellore is like a trip to Hades. She achieved useful purchases though, in terms of pots and pans and dishes for the centre for the elderly and some traditional games. I meanwhile spent another happy morning in school, observing some lovely play again, with another two bouts of Hokey Cokey demanded by the children, who now mostly have all the words and actions 'hin/ hout shake it all about' with confidence. Meantime my elderly knees find it ever more painful to do anything approaching a leap at the end! Then at lunchtime Andy and I set off to see Mr Immanuel.

Yes he said, hello. What can I do for you? Nothing at all, I said. This is just a social visit. Two hours later he had talked us through all the worries, concerns, bad feelings and problems of the last few weeks, and ironed them all out. He did have a laugh at the end about how he was glad I had no agenda. While we were there the chief engineer- not Donald the truly useless CMC man, but Mr Balasubramani. No problem, this chap said, the gate is to be fixed today. Oh yes, I didn't say, we'll believe that one when it happens. By nightfall it was cemented in place and Andy had lost a Rs 500 bet with Brian.

No chance of you having anything to do with well -digging I said, in what I admit was a sarcastic tone. Oh well, he said, this can be possible. After he had gone, Mr Immanuel said, there is some small thing you need to know. Firstly, Dr Rita- who lets not the grass grow under her feet- had called together the coconut traditional diviner and the engineer from CMC, sent them both to the school yesterday, and when they still could not agree- in fact their chosen sites are diametrically opposite to each other at either end of the plot- Dr Rita said, well I will decide then. And the decision is, we go with Mr Coconuts!. His site is nearer the school, which will be easier- if of course water is found there...

A decision having been made, Dr Rita will now expect it to happen immediately. And this is why Mr Immanuel now has to tell me something which has been kept secret from us until now. That well was to be paid for with the parental contributions paid over several years, to the earlier playcentres. The amount was Rs 40,000. But it transpires, the former committee chose to invest that money in a natural dye unit, believing it would make money. However this did not happen and they were left with many items and pieces of cloth unsold. Eventually a man called Shashi, who is from the Harijan community, bought it from them. Except he didn't really, as his cheque bounced. He didn't have the money to pay for it. That money has still not been repaid.

You may well imagine how my mouth hung open in amazement as this tale was told. My word, I thought, among other things, no wonder the RUHSA staff are nervous about Dr Rita. Being so proactive, she is going to uncover all manner of unfinished projects and incidences of malpractice/ corruption. What do we do now then I said to Mr Immanuel. Sekar, who was in on the decision to use playcentre funds in this way, laughs nervously, and as only Sekar can, somehow makes you feel he has been whiter than white and has done all he can to recoup the money.

Mr Immanuel said we have the funds- in money allocated for toys but not used since donations were made by us, individually, last year. But this doesn't sort the missing roughly £ 600, does it. I cannot help but think about what would hit the fan if I was to mention casually to Dr Rita what had happened...Nothing simple in this country, everything complicated and wrapped in secrets and misinformation and lack of honesty and transparency.

At the end of the day we had a meeting with the school staff at which Sekar and Joseph helped me to tell them about changes I have now planned to the timetable, and to discuss suggestions I have re for example disciplining and socialising the children. I focused very much on how positive I feel about their work and how excited I am about the future, especially with Sekar now having promised he will work with them on further training and development each Saturday. We also drew up, with their help, a list of their roles and responsibilities. All in all a very heartening meeting. They are such a super team, who seem to work really well together.