Skype Visit with Former Kolmar Classmate in India

When the students in Mrs. Baldi’s fourth grade class at Kolmar Avenue School returned for the new year in January, they were excited and filled with anticipation, but a little sad. One of their classmates, Bhargav, had moved to India with plans not to return until the summer of 2015.

Bhargav agreed to converse with his classmates via Skype soon after returning to India. The class was so eager to not only see and talk to their former classmate via Skype technology, but also to learn about the culture of Mysuru, a city in the state of Karnataka in the southern region of India where his new home was located.

In preparation for our conversation with Bhargav, the students prepared questions that they hoped Bhargav could answer. He and his family graciously welcomed us into their home and spent 30 minutes relaying interesting facts and anecdotes about life in this foreign land on the other side of the world.


When questioned about his daily life, he informed us that after a 15 minute bus ride, his school day starts at 8:20 a.m. and ends at 5:20 p.m. Uniforms are worn there, and teachers move from class to class while the students remain stationary. It is so hot there that he commented, “ I leave the house all fresh in the morning and return all sweaty at the end of the day.”

He has learned to read and write in Kannada, the language of the state, in the short period he has resided there. Cricket is his favorite sport, and he is involved in his school play.


When we inquired about how life was different there, he told us that it is a rule that you have to eat everything on your plate at meals. Instead of squirrels that scamper about freely in Oak Lawn, monkeys and birds are plentiful in and around residential areas. Because of the warm climate, birds migrate there from all over the world, so the variety is endless.

He rides a motorbike to get around. Shoes and socks are removed when entering the library, which is considered to be sacred. He is so happy to be amongst all his loving relatives (he is the youngest) and he gets his cheeks lovingly pinched frequently. Apparently, this is how they show their affection in India.

We all learned so many new things about India and enjoyed our visit with Bhargav and his family. Now we know that the communication lines between Oak Lawn and India are just a Skype call away. We look forward to our next Skype visit in the near future, with our classmate and friend Bhargav.

Contributed by: 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Kathryn Baldi