Jathanna School – Moodubidri

Host Family: Lenet Rodrigues

 

It is since two weeks that I am staying with the Rodrigues family in the Padumarnadu, Moodubidri village which is close to Mangalore.

 

My day starts at 8 a.m. with a nice cup of chai (tea) and a typical Indian breakfast. For example Dosa with chicken curry. Afterwards I take my bag and go to the Jathanna School from which I leave at 16 p.m. When I return another cup of chai and some snacks are waiting for me at home. Now I have got some free time which I use for checking emails or watching TV. In the afternoon my host brother is taking me sometimes to church where I meet other young people. Together we play volleyball, cricket or do other sports. I enjoy it very much to have contact with the Indian youth and I feel happy about so much integration. In the evening we return back home, take a shower and have dinner at 9 p.m. We watch TV together or talk about the day or Indian culture and other things.

 

Sometimes it is difficult to communicate with my host mother because she does not speak English. But at the moment my host sister is helping me with translating everything. The communication with her and my host brother is easy and works quite well although I need to get used to the Indian accent. For example I was wondering why she was talking about somebody named “Gorment” for so many times until I found out that she said Government.

 

The food I am getting is very good. There is lots of fish, chicken and pork together with rice and vegetables. And they don’t make it as spicy as usual so I can get used to it.

 

I think they integrate me well in the community. For example when we go to church or to a function (like in the photos), I meet a lot of new people who are very kind although there is language barrier we find in communicating.

 

My host family is speaking Konkani. In the village some are talking in Tulu and some use Kannada. So at the moment it is very difficult for me to understand anything. I hope I learn at least one of three languages during my stay to have a better communication.

 

 

Vincent George Ferdinand Ahlbach

FSL-India Volunteer from Germany