Posted by Roshini, class IX

Wow! This was the most exciting trip we have ever been on. An all-new exposure to the outside world! Every one of us was overwhelmed by the love the people showed us and the simple life they lived. There is no way we could have experienced the rural life of India if it was not for the care Isha Home School takes to expose us to every part of life. We learned about the many struggles the farmer, Nammalvar ayya, goes through.

Most of us had no idea how to cook food on our own. During our school cookouts, we usually help our teachers cook, but we haven’t practiced cooking ourselves. Only if we had spent some time in the kitchen would we have known what to do… Anyway, our teachers guided us on what to do and how to do it. I initially had some trouble cutting vegetables, but I got the hang of it in the end. We took turns to do field work and cook. All of us got to do both tasks.

In the fields we cleared out thorny pathways and  used the thorns for composting. It was challenging as we didn’t know how to use a crowbar or an axe! We had a little trouble in handling them at first, but once we were taught how to use them, we were ok. We cut down strong plants , which took a long time. Maybe they didn’t want to come out of the ground! We made circular compost pits and planted some plants on top of them.

The most terrifying thing for most of us was being chased by a dog called Vellaiamma. Sometimes at night she would come and sleep beside us, so many of us didn’t sleep comfortably. After some time, some of us got used to her . One night she slept in front of me and I thought it was one of my classmates!. In the morning I found out it the dog that had slept there. From the next day onwards I kept checking to see if she was besides me.

Overall, this farm visit was a big learning experience for all of us. Even when we worked in the hot sun, we didn’t let it distract us from what we were doing. We gave our best in what we did and that’s what made all the difference. We didn’t want to go back to school. I wish we could go there again.

No electricity, no beds, no stove. A simple life. It was a very cool trip!