Andy and I took a taxi out to the Canadian International School, where John, Mara, and Andy will soon start school. This school is a 45-60 minute drive from IISc, out the highway toward the airport. A small sign marks the turn off the highway. First, you get onto a parallel access road, though; unfortunately, our driver tried to short-cut across the dirt median and whump! one wheel landed in a freshly dug hole. Fortunately, a passing motorcycle stopped to help immediately. The two gents on the cycle (and most motorcycles seem to have two riders) jumped off, and lifted and pushed until our taxi was back on the road. I was impressed at how willing they were to help.
A dirt road leads to CIS. It passes some farm fields, and some ramshackle huts made of sticks, plastic tarps, and corrugated metal. Once you pass through the security gate to CIS, however, you find a brand-new school facility, spacious and well-appointed, with surrounding playing fields and a swimming pool. The contrast between the poverty of the shacks and the wealthy school is stunning.
Andy was interested in the natural world, however. The road passes banana fields, with ripening bananas – a new sight for him – and mountainous anthills taller than Andy. In the middle of the road lay a cow, with just enough room for us to go around it.
Next week we all return to CIS for orientation day. After that the kids will take the bus to and from school, hopefully from right at the edge of campus.
This post was transferred from MobileMe to WordPress in 2020, with an effort to retain the content as close to the original as possible; I recognize that some comments may now seem dated or some links may now be broken.
David Kotz 