Calcutta, Kolkata, Love It!

I'm on my 3rd day in Kolkata, and it has joined the ranks of Mumbai as a huge Indian city I love! It feels very different from Mumbai, but they're both amazing. Calcutta is a little scruffier, but it's a charming scruff.

On the evening of the 12th, I had dinner at the Fairlawn (after a beer and read on their garden terrace), and it so happened that on Thursday nights, the Calcutta Rescue (www.calcuttarescue.org) foundation (for the underpriviledged) displays things to sell that are fairtrade and made by hand by the impoverished and handicapped people at the center. Went on a little shopping spree (Rs.1000/$20) and got some beautiful bags, jewelerry and cards. The woman was thrilled. Bed around midnight in my huge room, didn't wake up till 10! Thought I might have missed the included breakfast, but luckily they were still serving. Ate, packed my bags, visited the rest of the hotel - it's like a museum in there! Loved the walls covered in old photos and newspaper clippings. Walked 3 minutes down the road and checked into the Golden Apple for two nights. Great little room, modern, AC, flatscreen TV. But even in a room and hotel like this, it's still India: killed the biggest cockroach I've ever seen in my bathroom (so big I thought it was a rat when it first scurried by). When I came back to my room later in the afternoon, I noticed lots of ants on the bathroom floor. That night, there were even more, and I then noticed they were going to and from the garbage bin, where I had put the dead cockroach. Well, poor thing had no limbs left. I picked up what remained of its torso, and flushed it down the toilet. Ant problem solved. 

Back to earlier that day... was in my room for a little cool-down mid-aft, and was reading about the Mother House (Mother Teresa) in my guidebook. It said there were volunteer orientation sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3pm. It was Friday 2:30. Grabbed my purse, asked reception how to get there, and quickly walked over (20 min). I was overcome with strong emotions the moment I walked through the entrance. I immediately felt choked up and had to hold back tears the whole time I was inside. There's definitely a powerful energy in there. It's where Mother Teresa lived while she was in Calcutta, and it's where she is buried. There's a separate room with her tomb. The woman in charge of volunteering (clad in a blue and white robe, like all the other sisters there) gathered the few of us who were interested, and walked us 5 minutes down the road to the orphanage area, where the orientation takes place (I thought I was a fast walker, but man did that woman ever bolt it down the street!). Hugh, from Ireland, who has been volunteering for 3 months, did the English group orientation (it was just myself and a girl from Texas and one from South Africa - he said were lucky to have individual attention, as last month there were dozens at each session). We first filled out a little information card, then he had us read 2 pages of info on the Mother House and etiquette while there, and 2 pages on Sudder Street beggars. Sudder street is the main backpacker hub in Kolkata, a short road where all three of my accommodations here are located. The info was about how important it was not to encourage the beggars by giving them money or buying sweets for the kids. Begging here is a mafia-like business (as those who saw Slumdog Millionaire are aware), and organizations are doing everything they can to reduce it. I always feel a pinch of guilt walking by beggars and not giving anything, but as they say, inaction is action. By not giving, we are helping bring the sick business to an end. Instead, to help, time or money can be donated to legitimate organizations around the city. So, I've decided to volunteer Monday-Friday next week. Hugh told us about "A day in the life of a volunteer", then described the different centers around the city that are run by the Sisters of Charity (Mother Teresa), and asked us to choose where we'd like to be placed. As simple as that! I will be doing the morning shift (8-12) at Shishu Bhavan, the orphanage for mentally and physically handicapped children, then the afternoon shift (3-6) at Khaligat, home for the dying and destitute. Yeah, pretty intense. Not sure exactly what I've gotten myself into, but it should be quite an experience. Every day, volunteers meet at 5:45am for mass from 6-7 (open to all religions - and non-religious), followed by breakfast at 7, then we meet with our leader who walks us (or bus) to whichever center we have chosen to work at. More about all that when I write on Monday evening!

Stopped at Kathleen's Confectionary on my way home for mango ice-cream and a box of pastries to bring back to my room. Relaxed and cooled off for a bit before heading out for dinner. Went back to Blue Sky Cafe, where I had my first Kolkata breakfast, and saw the South African girl from the volunteer center. She was sitting alone, so I joined her and we chatted over dinner. Chatted with a Brit guy next to us as well, who told us about the cricket game he was going to see tonight. After he raved about it (he had been to another game before) and took off, Marianka and I excitedly decided we would also go! Quickly finished our dinner, asked for directions, and made our way to Eden Gardens (20min walk). Got tickets in the Rs.500 ($10) section (tickets vary from 350-1500/7-30... though in Bangalore, with Jim and Blaire, we saw tickets going for about $1000!) and walked to the stadium as we heard chearing from the fans (it was 9ish, game had started at 8 and would end around 11:30). Wow! What a stadium! Huge floodlights made it very bright, nice green circular field, and thousands of fans in the pretty packed stadium. What a thrill to be there! The Kolkata Knight Riders were playing the Rajastan Royals. We had bought KKR head bands to wear! We were the only white people in sight (sitting beside 3 other blonde girls from Ireland, who happened to have bought their tickets just ahead of us in line, so our seats were together). Marianka, being from South Africa, knew all about cricket and was able to explan the game to us, making it much more fun to watch. By the end of the game, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and knew when to cheer and get excited about certain plays. And we won! Wonderful night. Walked home with the huge crowd from the stadium (cops do a good job of controling traffic here), and got back to my room at midnight. A little flat-screen HD TV before sleep, and awake at 9 this morning.

A little more sight-seeing this weekend before starting my work on Monday.

Loving Calcutta, its scruff, its history, its people, its charm :)