School Visit and announcement about future events in this space

Today, I visited two fourth grade classes at the Vidyarania School, in Hyderabad. I was a nervous wreck, going there. 

What if the children were bored? 

What if my mind went blank, the way it so often does when I'm chit-chatting with people - is anyone out there cursed with the same incapacity to have simple conversations about nothing, you know, the weather, or whatever? 

Anyway, I needn't worry, as usual. Not only did it go beautifully, I also truly enjoyed it. Actually, as I was coming out, the principal asked me to sit down at her desk to tell her about the visit, and I just couldn't - sit, I mean. I kept talking and talking, and she had to gently remind me that I was welcome to sit down. I was way too excited to sit ! 

I will see both classes tomorrow again to collect their questions and do some other activities, and I'm totally looking forward to it. One of the questions they asked me was where I came from, where I lived. When I said that I lived in Hyderabad, a little girl said: "you don't look like you live here." I asked if it had anything to do with my wearing western clothes, and I told her I would come with a salwar kameez, tomorrow. She had a hard time believing I could wear a salwar kameez, and found it even harder to believe that I actually own two saris. Even Kora telling her that I do did not seem to convince her. I said I'd bring photos :)

And a delightful boy, upon hearing that I'm French, asked me if I know "The Three Musketeers." I could have kissed him right there. Here is another proof of the magic of books, and stories. How wonderful to be able to connect with a child from India about a book written some 150 years ago, by a French writer ? A book that happened to be my very favorite as I was growing up. I really wasn't expecting that.

I won't be writing more, as this is part of the Global Virtual Tour I'm preparing for Amadi's Snowman. 

And I use this opportunity to let my faithful readers (hello, thank you so much for being there!) know that the tour will last one month ! Yes, one entire month. Initially, I had planned for a long week-end, and then, as Tilbury's wonderful publicist, Sarah, and I came up with new ideas, we thought it might last two weeks, but now, we have enough material and enough interested participants to last four weeks.

OK, I can't resist posting a picture of today's visit. Only one. There will be many more in November. By the way, I took Kora, my older daughter with me. She's seating in the first row, wearing a blue t-shirt.