Josefina's in the House!

Today is the opening day of CARP at CIS. Wooohooo!!! The sun is out, we got to school early and into Josefina's apartment..mmm...incence, candles and bougainvillea...feels like home already. Josefina's home for the next three weeks. Sara Vaughn singing "Something in the way she moves" on her Macbook, her parlour an open invitation. We sit there a few minutes, catching her peace and listening to Sara groove. "I feel all actors should listen to jazz to learn how to phrase" she says. "To learn how to puuuuuuull the vowels".

Then Colin is at the door. Assembly at 8.15 am. On the way we chat about the mornings and teenagers. It's the same story everywhere, isn't it?

"5 minutes more pleeeeeeze!!"

"I don't need breakfast, I ate last night!"

"I don't need to shower, I'm always clean!"

and then...

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry...."

Then, boom! We're at assembly and all around are lovely faces, sparkling smiles, young people with ideas and dreams and imaginings.

:))) :)))    :))))))     :)))

We introduce Josefina to Shweta Sastri, the director of Canadian International School. Really, a meeting of angels. The one, so committed to her art and craft, the other knowing intuitively the human value of art and working to make this possible at CIS. An artist-in-residence program in a school! Fancy that. 

Melina Patel comes over, so warm and enthusiastic, to welcome Josefina. She is the drama teacher and will take care of her program. Nidhi, a young student, comes over to speak to Josefina. She is a drama enthusiast and will be introducing Josefina to the school. Wow! The excitement is palpable. At assembly, Lynda Gigg, the principal, tells the school that this is a first for any Indian school.

Then Josefina comes on...rapping to the children, asking them to move...

"Will you teach us meditation" asks one little child.

"Yes, and I hope to see you in my class" says J.

A group of seniors come to Amjad-from-Nepal and introduce their classmate "He's from Katmandu too." So the two speak a while in Nepali. Plans are made to go to the blog, some more interaction...

We take pictures of Konarak Reddy and Sikander who was at Berklee College of Music for the summer program. And then we're out of there.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ms. Josefina Baez is in the House!