Metric Mela

Around 6:15 pm the preconference  participants trooped down to Ashokavanam, a satellite school very close to the Rishi Valley/RiVER campus.

We could hear music before we saw its source. Dressed in festive finery, a group of students was dancing to a vigorous beat. A gentleman was playing the flute outside the ring of dancers

At the entrance, three youngsters were filling out admit cards  (free) for each visitor. Entry cards were in Telugu with a chocolate pinned to it. The students helped us fill our names.

The idea was to take these cards around and try out different number related games and fun things at each counter. There was an abacus style game where you picked a number and put in the correct number of rubber rings in each of the units, tens and hundreds place.

Nose lengths, foot sizes, heights and weights were measured and entered in the guest profile section of the card. Walking blindfolded between two rows of meandering beer bottles, guessing heights and lengths in feet and meters etc.  were some of the games for which guests were tested and grades entered in the card.

There was also a food counter where food was sold and students had to calculate and return the exact change. All in all lots of participatory activities that kept everyone busy and involved. The Metric Mela was surely a great fun way to end the first day of the pre-conference.