Christmas with Bubbles:)

Bubbles centre for autism is second home to most of us....simply coz of the wonderful hospitality that Sarbani offers n of the activities that v get to do there in our brief volunteering stints...

I always wonder if I actually end up doing any work at all in Bubbles....But Im sure that I do more work that wat I get to do at home:)

Bubbles caters to autistic children with developmental delays and similar problems. Most parents claim that the kinda training and love their children have received in Bubbles is difficult to get in most other schools...

So, sometime last year...I happen to meet an autistic kid ...who has a very very cute way with words...hardly 5 years of age...he can actually mesmerize u with his talk...n get away easily in not doing any of his work....if he has to write a single page of alphabets...he will ask u a million questions...n try his best to postpone the doing....u need to kinda outwit him every now n then...if u want him to do his work....

This year, Sarbani tells us that he has improved quite a lot...and was the chief narrator for the Christmas play ...who ended up asking Sarbani abt an amphitheatre and the brightest star in the sky...when Sarbani gave him the right answers..he was heard telling.."Oh no.....I knew U wud also know:)"...

As Sarbani tells us...that when u work with autistic kids, they are no different than the normal kids....U also end up laughing with them.....crying with them...n sometimes in the midst of all the fun stuff that u end up doing with them..it is their innocence or their response to particular situations that make them special to u...

We kinda did the decorations...n face painting and preparing the kids for the Christmas play...where the entire act was put up by the autistic kids...

I didnt get to watch it..as I was busy getting dressed to play Santa for the day:)

Every year, usually Praveena n me ...both of us get to play Santas...but this year ...they had just 1 costume....n d toss of a coin was supposed to decide as to who gets the Santa costume...I won ...hands down:)..2-0 after making the right call twice...n ended up doing tapang-guchi dance:) as Santa...

Now..Praveena was trying hard to teach me Salsa...she did manage to teach me steps for Jingle bells....but once the 2 of us got onto stage ...she was playing Santa's friend:)....they played....."We wish u a Merry Christmas Song"....n I was out of my nerve's wit on what to do...as what comes naturally to me..was the tapang guchi dance...n ya.....when u r dancing on stage...n through Santa's mask...when u see Sarbani and ur pals...roaring n laughing n having a gala time seeing u dance...U forget ur nervousness....n end up feeling like ur dancing infront of family:)

The parents applauded the Indianized Santa:) n her Salsa friend:)....n after distributing chocs and gifts....v were in for loads of surprises!!

Indu, a volunteer... had actually visited Bubbles, after reading the Bubbles blog...something which got us to realize the importance a blog cud have:)

After treating us to lunch n listening to Krathika's antics in school.....all of us were in splits after hearing of all the things that madam was upto in school....right from doing the dances when punished:)....or from hitting back at the funny ways of some of the teachers:)

N was nice to interact with Swathi...after I think..almost 11 long years!!

V went back home with a glass bowl ..which was hand-painted by the children themselves...n I must admit that it so exquisite n lovely that I am gonna treasure it:)