A Day in the Life: Basil
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My name is Basil.
I'm from Grand Rapids, Michigan and spent my Global Citizen year in the beautiful and chaotic city of Pune, India. Though every day was vastly different, here are some of the more daily routines of my life this year.
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Teach Math & English
Every morning, I would catch a rickshaw across town to the school I worked at. I taught 5th graders Math and English, doing my best to bring them up to the grade standard.
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Community Visit
Once or twice a week, I visit the home of one of my students to introduce myself to the family and share a meal. The kids and I play games together and they never fail to give me detailed neighborhood tours.
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Rooftop Nap
I come home tired most days from teaching the kids, so oftentimes I head to our rooftop terrace to play music and nap. We keep an old bed up there for that reason, and I doze off to the sounds of the city with the sun beaming down on me.
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Explore the City
Dinner is always late at night, so that leaves the afternoon wide open to do whatever I like. I often hail a rickshaw and head into various parts of the city to experiment with new foods, meet friends, or practice street photography.
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Family Dinner
Family is very important in Indian culture, and every night my family gathers around for the dinner made by my host mom – usually a tasty curry. Most nights, we sit together on the floor and eat with our hands.
EXPERIENCE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
A GLOBAL CITIZEN YEAR FELLOW
Fellow / Ecuador
— Anna del Savio
I work with a group of indigenous artisans that make fair trade jewelry.…
Fellow / Brazil
— Amari Leigh
After my community garden apprenticeship, I like to hang out at the local waterfall with my friends.…
Fellow / Brazil
— Basil Wiering
I often hail a rickshaw into various parts of the city to meet friends and practice street photography.…
Fellow / Brazil
— Fernanda Tornell
I've developed my public speaking skills and encouraged hundreds of people to take care of our planet.…
Fellow / India
— Luciana Ribeiro da Silva
I apprentice with Teach For India and also volunteer with a non-profit working to end child marriage.…
Fellow / Ecuador
— Noah Hapke
I co-teach English classes at the school in my community.…
Fellow / Brazil
— Sarah Murray
My apprenticeship is at a school for people with disabilities where I help to lead gardening, games, and capoeira.…
Fellow / India
— Alana Poole
In the afternoons, I often go on home visits to meet my students' families and understand where they come from.…