Learning, learning,learning

The learning environment of VKV seems to expand more and more - we now have extra curricular learning happening:
Yesterday a large group of us went to Chengannur, the nearest sizeable town (12 kms away) for a shopping expedition. It was sparked by a new class being offered here: Lucy, from the UK is here to lean singing and mridangam, but the singing is really so that she can apply the music to the flute, because she is a flautist. As well as her western classical flute,she brought with her a couple of bamboo flutes, and this has sparked off a new class of eager flute learners. Lucy has given us a few lessons, and so yesterday we went to Chengannur to a music shop and a number of us bought bamboo flutes. So now we have the screaching sounds of new flute players trying to make correct sounds. I bought a flute as well as a mawsing, which is a south Indian version of a Jew's harp. The woodcarving teacher plays mawsing, so maybe I can get some lessons from him.
Also there are French lessons happening - Leonore from Paris gives an hour French lesson each day to Evie and Laurence from Scotland and me. Then we have Latino dance classes offered by Valerie from France. The last couple of nights I've been teaching African singing and dance. And Leonore, who is in a choir in France which sings gypsy music, taught us a Bulgarian song. So we are not limited to our official VKV classes for all the learning that we are doing.

I've now been here as long as I was here last time - 5 weeks. It doesn't seem very long at all, although long enough for me to miss friends. Much much more to learn and experience, at many different levels.