志工日誌-0701

昨晚的暴雨把城市浸泡的一陣黏膩

今天早晨的睡意是被服務人員敲走的，昨晚請飯店在早上七點送上Masala omelette和奶茶，果然是好選擇，讓香味逼自己從床上爬起，邊吃邊看著電視到八點出發前往新的服務據點。

一早的微雨消弭了這裡惡名昭彰的溽暑，原本擔心的旱熱隨著雨下下來，散了。        出門，上計程車，穿過一片混亂市區，群聚的維多利亞和蒙兀爾混搭的建築坐落兩旁，清真寺的大喇叭常傳來一陣陣沒有逗點的廣播，汽車的喇叭聲此起彼落。在印度，汽車廠商在喇叭汰換上應有不少獲利。望向車窗外的街道，五顏六色的色調出現了，小圓白帽的穆斯林和小圓綠帽的小朋友穆斯林、穿著紗麗和旁遮普裝的印度教婦女、包著頭巾和雄偉大鬍子的錫克教徒（沒錯 就長得像總理莫漢．辛格一樣）十分大膽的用色令人咋舌，而司機就算不知道所在位置也硬是要載到你、賺你錢的心態也令我噴chapati，所以我們還是在路人指點下到達！

服務據點在一間小型醫院的對面，雨還下著，我撐起傘，悶熱的空氣夾著一股難以消受的臭味撲鼻而來，暴露在外的溝渠中有一堆不知誰的糞和垃圾喇在一起，當然照這個情況走在路上是絕對令人膽顫心驚的（這時從教室傳來小朋友暴動聲）

往前走入門口，映入眼簾的是位雙手合十的婦女，對一旁賽巴巴神像祈禱。一旁的小朋友睜大眼睛看這群從動物園奔出的異獸，這時老師出面管秩序了，他有自己一套讓小孩聽命的方法（教小朋友重複他的口號12123）而且他沒有拿著棍子。

相見歡：自我介紹 折氣球課 做香包 介紹台灣

課程的開始分了小組，最讓我感動的是我們那一組的那幾個小朋友

小不點八歲：想當醫生，每次如果我偷偷跑去別組他就會把我拉回來，他的香包、氣球凡舉勞作都是我一手包辦，因為每次他都高舉著他不會做的部分（當然是整個不會ㄏㄏ）然後大叫Eduardo Biya<Biya＝brother> 我：okok

一臉會當老師的美麗十二歲女孩和她的姊妹：她想當老師，她真的非常適合當老師，在組中她總是可以獨力完成作品而且也會幫忙照顧其他小朋友。

頭髮QQ的小女孩和她的姊妹：想當醫生，應該是個小姐頭，總希望我第一個幫她作好勞作。

十歲的木訥小生：想當工程師，臉上一直掛著靦腆的微笑。

Hello Taiwan 是介紹台灣的課程，藉由介紹民俗節日並請小朋友介紹自己國家的民俗節日，由於是第一天見面，我們安排較為輕鬆的課程希望可以拉近彼此距離

課堂上也有NGO來的實習老師，由此可知這是一個在成長的NGO，他有固定的志工而且有很多心血期待加入，小朋友也是要排隊進來這個班。

課程大約到十一點多結束，要搭計程車時發現忘了拿背包，衝回去拿。之後下計程車後進飯店才發現雨傘忘在車上，好吧人生就是這樣，該走的總是要走的。

中午我點雪蓮子咖哩 評：可以吃

我要指出印度食物有三大弊病：太油、太鹹、太甜、蔬菜量不足，好處是香料眾多爭奇鬥艷。

下午和Down To Earth創辦人Dev聊天並聽述他的故事我很久沒有如此認同一個人的想法並讓我自己有更多這方面的思考我們是以問答進行的

Dev：well. The difference between the state school and private school is like this….the students can choose to go to school from 7 to 12:30 or 1pm to 6pm at state school. For private school, it will be from 9a.m to 4p.m. Normally, rich people may send their children to private school because their children can have more English classes. Children going to state school speak local language at school so they had less chance to practice their English. The morning class you went this morning speaks English and the children there will go to state school at the afternoon meaning they can almost only practice English at morning classes. In India , if you want to get a decent job you should equip yourself with good English. We fund this NGO to make sure people from different family either poor or rich should have the privilege to learn, to practice and to develop themselves. We had not only regular classes but extracurricular classes like dancing, music, PE……you name it

Dev asked us about Taiwanese education system. He said the people can get good education at school is a privilege, being born in Taiwan is a privilege.

India faces even more complicated problems like the infanticide, conflict between different races and religions……….

My opinion: Its hard for me to imagine a really crap educational system. I think Taiwan has had a notorious robotic educational system which trains students in Sparta and control the thinking like <1984 George Orwell>. In India. This country barely makes the cut to call it mandatory education. The teacher may not go to the classes for several reasons so the teachings are up to teachers. When Dev said that being born in Taiwan is a privilege I am quite stunned. I am thinking the privilege I got since I was born. It’s countless and hard to name it out. As we are more aware of what we have been blessed, we will appreciate more and love more.

I asked Dev: How you make Down To Earth famous? I heard that some parents sent their children to your NGO so you actually didn’t visit from one family to another for children.

Dev: I think we should know that it’s not famous but the value I set. I have been questioned by many parents about the purpose I fund this NGO. They doubt that I may take NGO as another source of my salary. I may get some profits from that. However, I show them that my wife and I have works. We got salary each month so we have very stable financial sources and teachers here are all volunteers. Those teachers will come here after they got their work done. It has been tough to face those doubts but I go through those trials by proving the value of Down To Earth. I show to people things we have done and hoe the donations work on each segment of organization.

My opinion: I pretty much appreciate his way to approach Value. The value is a good definition for your work after you have relentlessly pursuing your dream. As he has ever thought about the word value, I believe he must be a self-reflective and thoughtful person with a kind heart to devote.