During our third week of volunteering in Chengannur, we shifted into gear with readying the student performances of three folktales that we've been working on. These are all stories that we drew from our perennial repertoire as touring entertainers in the States. First we demonstrated them, then we began teaching them to the young thespians. … Continue reading Preparing for the Stage: Third Week of Volunteering in Chengannur
Our time volunteering in the state of Kerala definitely had its highs and lows, though on balance it was a positive experience. The biggest drawback was our living quarters, which were not exactly uncomfortable, but did have all the modern inconveniences. We've already mentioned the frequent power outages; when they occurred, it tended to get … Continue reading Volunteering in Kerala: An Eye-Opening Experience
With our new WorkAway position volunteering at a small school in Chengannur in full swing, our schedule would run from about 10:30 to 3:00, minus a break for lunch. For the students, each day began with their National Anthem, their National Pledge, and the song that they called "the prayer". When the school director learned … Continue reading Encountering Familiar Faces in India
When the month of June landed, it found us getting ready to leave Abu Dhabi. Shouldering our bags, we walked to the bus terminal from our Airbnb on what was already turning out to be another scorcher of a day. And after waiting about an hour for the bus, we had a 45-minute ride back … Continue reading Advancing to India
Although Turkey had always been a must-see for us, we'd hoped to justify the layover by arranging a volunteer position through WorkAway. We did, but it canceled on us. So we arranged another one. And it canceled on us too. That left us without a gig, but with plans to come to Istanbul anyway. And … Continue reading Legends of Istanbul
May 12th was our wedding anniversary -- 32 years of married bliss and blisters. (We know, we know -- we don't look old enough to have been married that long. But we were only 7 at the time.) So we wanted to work in something special for the occasion, before our afternoon shift of teaching … Continue reading The Usual Suspects in Casablanca
Casablanca, we'd been hearing from several people who'd been there, is a letdown. It is, they reported, a city for commerce rather than a city for sightseeing. So we were pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. Of course, some people who have not been there have an overly glamorized perception of … Continue reading Here’s Looking at You, Casablanca
On May 3, the driver for British Language Academy, Khalil, picked us up at the campus in Berrechid where we'd been volunteering, and drove us back to El Jadida to teach for another three days. Actually, he didn't take us all the way there, but dropped us off at the bus station, where we caught … Continue reading El Jadida take II
So after a one-day detour to El Jadida, we were back to volunteering in Berechid. Sunday was, as usual, a busy day of classes at the school. But on Monday and Tuesday, the school was closed and we were free. So on Monday night, we decided to avail ourselves of one of the few noteworthy … Continue reading Bouncing Back to Berrechid
After teaching a few days at British Language Academy in Berrechid, Morocco, we were picked up, along with fellow volunteer Jason, and driven to Casablanca, where our van collected two more volunteers – these brand new, freshly arrived in town. From there we had a drive of about another 45 minutes to El Jadida, site … Continue reading Escape to El Jadida
world travel with a theatrical flair 