Annual Day!

Last Saturday was Annual Day at the school.  What is Annual Day?  I still don’t know.  We’ve been asked if Annual Day is the same in Scotland and we don’t even know what it is to give an equivalent. 

On the lead up to Annual Day there was about three weeks of almost continual dance practice.  And although this meant that I didn’t have to do much teaching, it also meant that I was sitting around, doing nothing, watching the same dances and listening to the same music over and over again.  It got pretty wearing.  I think even the kids were bored of it by the end of it.  All the kids who were taking part were also getting new clothes for the day to do the dances in.  Meaning the teachers had to choose the clothes.  Now, as much as I love some of the Indian clothes, I can confirm that Indians have no taste in clothes.  They really don’t know what looks good and what children should be wearing.  There were some interesting outfits when annual day arrived.

On the day of Annual Day we were taken to a beauty parlor to have our saris tied properly so they wouldn’t fall down and to have our make up done as well.  It turns out that Annual Day is a pretty big deal.  They tied the sari so well, I’ve actually never worn when it looks that flattering.  And nothing in India looks flattering.  But it was really good.  Although, they did use about 9 pins to keep it up.  However, the make up, so not so good.  Well, the eyeliner was, but they put this weird red eye shadow on which was rubbed off as soon as I got out the parlor. 

We rocked up at Annual Day hour after we were supposed to be there but it turned out they were still putting up the stage so it wasn’t too bad.  And the rain delayed things for a wee bit as well.  However finally it looked like things we getting there!  And our two other friends who are also working in Bangalore came as well because their host knows our host.  So that was really nice.  We had someone to talk to and share our emergency biscuits with. 

The kids had been practicing these dances for ages so they were perfect and they were amazing. They were so good at dancing.  Even though I had seen the dances so many times, it was nice to finally see it all put together with the costumes and the stage and everything.  And the nursery kids dancing to 500 miles by The Proclaimers was brilliant.  Even after a last practice the day before when for some reason they just couldn’t remember the steps Sarah had taught them.  They aren’t really anyways to describe Annual Day so pictures will have to do.