Prejudice at it's finest...we've reached a new low

Every time I watch a movie or read a book about the Holocaust or the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, or any kind of social injustice story, I always wonder how people can stand by in silence while they see fellow human beings treated so inhumanely. I applaud the heroes who defied social norms and worked towards social change and equality. "If I was ever in that situation," I think to myself, "That's what I would do too."

But I'm in that situation, and I don't know what to do. The answer isn't that simple, there's no foreshadowing of what might happen next in the plot should I choose a specific action. I'm not even sure what action to choose. But I know I will regret for the rest of my life doing absolutely nothing simply because "that's how things are done here."

I'm living in a caste system society. I know this. The women who are hired to cook, clean, and raise children in this country are called "Ayas." We have 4 at our school. They sweep and wash floors everyday. They wash windows and doors, help the preschoolers with bathrooming, sort through trash to pick out the recycling, clean up after the students in the cafeteria, and clean up any mess made by anyone during the day as in this country one is not encouraged to clean up after themselves if they have money or status. I asked for a broom once to clean up a mess I made during a lesson...the local office staff looked at me like I was crazy, "We have 4 Ayas." was the response.  

So these people who do all the jobs that no one really wants to do but everyone knows is necessary, get paid less than anyone else at the school, and now, have been told that they are no longer allowed to use the staff room to eat their lunch or the cafeteria tables. They have been told to eat their lunch behind a set of lockers, on top of garbage, under a staircase. Out of sight, out of mind. This comes from the people who own the school, I know this because at the staff meeting we brought it up to the principal who says he is trying discuss it with the director.

The new "lunch room" under the stairs

Doesn't it look cozy?

But people keep saying there's not much we can do because that's the reality of the country we are working in. But what if Martin Luther King Jr. had said, "Well that's just the reality of racism in the U.S.A., no sense trying to change it." Really? We're going to give up that easily? These women have been working with us for months and we're just going to let them be treated like this? Like they are somehow beneath us because they weren't born into a life of privilege?

There has to be something I can do, something we can do as a school to say that it's not o.k. to treat people like that. I heard that the complaint came from parents who didn't want the Ayas sitting in the cafeteria with their kids. Well I'm sorry, then why don't you raise your kids yourself if you don't want Ayas associating with them? And students aren't allowed in the staff room anyways so why would it matter if the Ayas ate their lunch in there?

But I hate being all talk and no action, I feel like all I have are words. So I'm trying to spread them as far and wide as I can. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I am a teacher. It is my job to educate the next generation, and I want the next generation to know that all human beings are entitled to all human rights REGARDLESS of how much money is in their pocket or the pigmentation of their skin color or whatever ridiculous system people choose to judge others upon.

So who's got some radical ideas? Because I'm ready for some change around here.

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas time in Dhaka...no snow, no carols in the shopping malls, no mention of it at school...but luckily we have friends with a Christmas tree and a house to decorate. Singing Christmas carols, baking cookies, putting up decorations, watching Christmas classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, and the Santa Clause...this makes it feel more like home, more like the holiday spirit that I sorely miss right now.

Our school put on a Winter Masquerade Dance and a Winter Wonderland Concert. My first experience trying to organize my students for a concert as a music teacher was interesting to say the least but I managed! With a lot of help and support along the way, especially from my room mate, who always keeps me sane when I'm stressed. I was so proud of my little ones singing their hearts out and the Grade 11's and 12's who I don't even teach decided to join the Middle years choir and sing along to Jingle Bell Rock and Winter Wonderland.

The last day of school Ganraj and I decided that we should probably start planning our trip seeing as we were leaving the next morning. Her students were appalled that we had nothing planned and took over being travel agents for us giving us all kinds of recommendations and helping us book better hotels and telling us where to go. (Her students are Grade 11 and 12).

So we took off to Thailand to celebrate Christmas and found some Christmas trees, heard the same three carols on loop in public places like hotel lobbies and shopping malls. But our Christmas was anything but traditional, we ate lots of meat on a stick, a delicious delicacy sold on the street, we bathed elephants, petted tigers, kayaked on the ocean, and enjoyed traditional Thai massages along with clean air, blue skies, and ocean waves. We even made Christmas Eve wishes with the Thai lanterns that float up to the sky at night.

For New Years, we headed out to Bali, Indonesia to go white water rafting, surfing, and climb yet another volcano at sunrise because I just can't get enough of those treks. :)

It was a much needed holiday and I am feeling refreshed and ready for the new year...only now I have to deal with elections. Which turns out, may mean staying at home for the next week as things might get a little crazy out on the street. But we stocked up on food and we have been safe so far, so hopefully it will stay that way.

I have to say though, there's no place like home for the holidays, for no matter how far away you roam-When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze, For the holidays-you can't beat home, sweet home!