Kody is a town of about 30,000 that over the last 100 years has grown up, in and around an American missionary school. KIS campuses are scattered around a large, man-made lake; steep streets meander away from the school,
lined with restaurants, hotels, countless touristy shops (clothes, carpets, cushions, jewelry, knick knacks from Kashmir, Tibet, Kerala), and a handful of useful shops (grocery, general, tailors, hardware, dispensary). Beyond to the outskirts spread homes, schools, shops and chai stalls servicing the people who are here to serve the school community; the outlying hills and valleys are farmed, forested, and sprinkled with villages. On weekends, the hillstation that grew to support the school becomes clogged and crowded with busloads of tourists up from the hot plains. Families ride horses or walk around the lake, go for paddleboat rides, 
and shop in the touristy Tibetan, Keralan, and Kashmiri shops; herds of young men come for local weed and for the views—namely, of foreign women. Their stares and catcalls trump even those of Kuwaiti Geezie’s. I’ve got tailoring orders in for especially conservative local dress to save just for weekends. You could read that description of Kody in any guidebook, and I haven’t had time yet to delve much deeper. Work started the day after arrival, with orientation, meetings, and a staff retreat. Before jet lag even wore off, and before I had a place to live, classes began. Panic! Planning and getting organized has been extra challenging because my schedule and responsibilities keep changing. I was hired to teach elementary art, ESL and French; as of Friday I’m teaching some art, a lot of French, no ESL, a 12th grade art class, and 3rd grade math (and who knows what will have changed as of tomorrow morning). To be honest, so far, I really don’t like teaching. That might change once I figure out how to plan units and lessons, but…well, it was a gut reaction that hasn’t really wavered. At least the kids are sweet and I’ve got a solid team to work with.
3 weeks to backlog, but Monday morning looms…à la prochaine.
