ajay's interview in the davis high school paper

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When did you and your family start talking about leaving Davis to travel to India?
What did the talks entail?
In early 2006 Sara and I started talking concretely about how to give our kids a real experience in Indian culture, and to shake up some of the patterns of living we've drifted into. I also wanted the kids to learn some Hindi.

When did you inform Mr. Richardson and Mr. Cawley of your intentions?
In March or April, I think.

What emotions did you have at the department farewell lunch at the end of the school year?

When did you and your family leave Davis for India? July 20

How did you feel about leaving your teaching behind you?
I am at a bit of a loss without the rigor and playfulness of it, but am happy and grateful for the opportunity to get outside the box. It makes thinking outside the box, especially about education, much easier.

What part of India are you in currently?
We are in the state of Kerala, where we just spent several days at Kanavu, a unique residential school in Wynad District. Wayanad is an area where the indigenous / tribal people had no onslaught of settlers until relatively recently. At Kanavu the students determine their own curriculum and have a hand in how the place is run. In fact, the older students are now fully in charge, and the Trust they have formed owns the land. Maybe I can mail over a CD with a film about Kanavu to be screened at DHS.

Where have you been so far?
We spent August to December living in Udaipur , Rajasthan. There we participated in a group called Shikshantar, which is dedicated to transforming the way people think about learning. Google it – the website has more than one meal's worth of food for thought.

Are you working at all in India?
No paid job. An opportunity to be a person instead of a "teacher. "

How does your wife and kids feel about the experience?

Any regrets?
I'm glad you asked about regrets. Where do I start? Actually, Sara and I are both glad we took on this experiment, but it has been endured more than enjoyed, I think. But: no pain, no gain. Having regrets depends on hindsight, but also on the hopeless wish that we could run a reply and avoid the mistakes the second time through. I'm appreciating mistakes' crucial role as a crucibles for learning.
Here's an example. I regret being short-tempered with my kid the other day – and would love a second chance to do it right — but if I had known how inappropriate the match between us and Shikshantar would be, I would have missed a few excellent lessons that I've gotten since August. And so even in hindsight, I might run that play the same way.
The kids, Satya, Violet and Tara, have also been stressed by the move, but not to the point, we hope!, of causing damage. Since before having children we have worried about the constraints that are commonplace at home. We call it a free country but if i've seen one, it's here, not back there. It seems the kids have had a richness of experience here that they could not have gotten at home.

The auto response on your e-mail says you are on a sabbatical for 06-07. Are you coming back for 07-08 or are you and your family staying longer in India?
Our visas will run out, so the latest we'll be back in Davis is June.