Sick Day

Dear Deb,

Today wasn't exactly a sick day, more of a don't get sick day. Kolkata has a lot of air pollution and it seems that my chest isn't adapting to the humidity as well as it should. I felt tired and congested most of the morning and finally decided to take a steam bath around noon. The are some lovely advantages to staying at a five star hotel.

The steam bath made me feel better, but I still ended up sleeping a good portion,of the afternoon. At some point hunger overcame my need for sleep,and I ventured out of the hotel on my own. It's a little scary walking around Kolkata by myself, even if it's only a block or two.

The streets are densely crowded with pedestrians and cars vying for the same space. Each move must be quick and deliberate or you run the risk of being run over.

At the same time, merchants walk alongside you trying to convince you to come visit their store or buy their goods. About a half block from the restaurant I w as walking to, a merchant came out to convince me to look at his purses. I told him I wasn't shopping, just out to eat, and he walked with me the rest of the way to the restaurant, as though he was making sure I arrived properly.

I sat alone at a table and ordered, only to be told I ordered too much food and have my order amended by the waiter. Half way through my meal a woman loaded with bags sat down in front of me, unloaded her shopping bags in an adjacent chair and promptly ordered fish fried rice. We sat opposite each other the rest of the meal. Strangers, yet occupying the same space.
And this is India, personal space is different here, boundaries are not the same at all. It is very common to see young men walking down the street, their arms flung round each other in a kind of half embrace.
When people come to talk to me they stand rather close, sometimes even touching me. It is an uncomfortable experience, yet I understand that I am beyond comfort, that I left comfort in the US along with deep understanding and summer vacation.
This job, teaching in a non-air conditioned classroom in July pushes me to ask "why a classroom?" "why one teacher?"
Why does this system continue to work as it has for thousands of years. It seems this is the way human beings learn, but why this way?
I don't know. I would be curious to see a different model, if such a thing exists. Where there is no classroom or teacher, yet it is still a centralized place of learning.
What might that look like, and where might I see it?