Dadoo this is for You!

It took an Indian meal and having my lesson plans finished for the first week of school to finally sit down to write about my last week in India.

Arriving In Mumbai
 It began with having my driver take me to the airport due to the taxi strike. About half a book later and a 2 hour flight I finally arrived in Mumbai with Priya, David, Caris, and Iris waiting at the airport for me. We spent the night with Priya's aunt and uncle in Mumbai. When me arrived a huge special meal had been prepared for me...Homemade chicken biryani, chapatis, and ice cream. All things that I love, but I am a vegetarian in India, I do not eat many dairy product (ice cream at the top of my list!). I was surprised how the food was prepared sitting on the kitchen floor, many Indian homes do not have counter space...I learned over the next week that this is just how things are done in a typical Indian household.

Day 2
We left early and traveled to Badlapur, it is about 40 miles from Mumbai, but took about 4 hours to get there. This is where Priya's family lives. We arrived in the evening and quickly after headed to the market to buy things for dinner. Most families do not refrigerate many things, food is purchased almost daily for the meals. In Badlapur the monsoon rains had not arrived the the town was rationing the water supply. This means that the water comes on in the mornings for an hour or two and if you are lucky again in the evening. It never came on in the evening while I was there. When the water comes on buckets are filled with water for the day i.e. washing clothes, dishes, flushing toilets, bathing. Turning the faucet and water not coming out is a hard thing to grasp the concept of!

Day 3
A whirlwind of a day began when Priya told me we would be leaving to take the train to Pune to visit some family. We were going to spend the night with them and return the next day. I threw a change of clothes and a toothbrush in a bag and off we went. I love riding the train in India. It is a mix of horrible smells, busy pushing people, and lots of odd stares. Not only am I the only white girl around, but Priya is married to a Korean man and they have two children that are Indian/Korean. We look like a circus compared to others on the train. About six hours later we arrived in Pune. We rode in an auto rickshaw true Indian style with four adults in the back with 2 kiddos on laps. We some how managed to make it! Everyone was so very warm and inviting, soon I realized that all ten of us were going to be sleeping in the one bedroom apartment. Two family members work nights, Bhavana in a call center who does serve the Texas area and Reshma is a nurse.

Day 4
I woke up with people hanging out in the room, basically because there is no where else to be other than the kitchen in the house. Awkward, but I did get a bucket of hot water to take a bath with! After breakfast and a morning of playing carrom with Iris a Caris, I was told that we would be going over to a cousin's house for lunch and to see the deaf ministry that they run. Then catch the train back to Badlapur. I was very interested in seeing the school and trades training that has approximately 100 students enrolled. We managed to miss the train and would catch the next train in the morning. Luckily they had guest houses for volunteers and people who help financially support the ministry, but because of the lack of water the showers did not work....Oh well, we wold be taking the train in the morning...At least that's what I thought.

Day 5
We woke up early and managed to miss the train, the first train is what I thought. We went to church there on the campus and experienced my first sign language/Marathi church service. It was beautiful seeing the students signing all the songs during the service. Sometime in the afternoon I realized that on Sunday only one train runs and we had missed it and would be spending the night again. This is when I insisted that we go to the market to buy clothes...I had been wearing those clothes for more than one dance and had not had a proper shower in days. I knew that I would not be getting one that night either. We did spend the rest of the afternoon filled in busy market haggling on clothes prices and going to the Pune zoo with Caris and Iris. One of the girls from the school also covered my feet in henna tattoos.

Day 6
We made the train and headed back to Badlapur. The train was full of people, women cleaning vegetables sitting on the luggage rack, noisy vendors selling tea, candies, and snacks at every stop, the windows going up and down to keep the rain out of the train. It was nice to make it back, especially with dinner waiting when we arrived. It was nice to be in familiar surroundings. No shower tonight...crossing my fingers for tomorrow...my plane is tomorrow...I can't get on a plane like this...

Day7
The full day began...with a Shower! Yeah, after the water quit and I was terrified I would not come back on. I was able to get a steaming hot bucket of water for a shower, one of the best in my life! It was a morning of playing with Iris and Caris before I left. Then for the four hour drive into Mumbai. We were able to stop and see The Gateway of India before heading to the airport. I waited in the airport for about 3 hours and caught my plan to Delhi, then a 3.5 layover until my 10 hour flight to London. Next a 4 hour layover in London, then a 10 hour flight into DFW. I made it home with luggage, tired, smelly, and ready to get home. It was the longest 40 hour day I have ever experienced!

 

Alive and on American soil!

As many of you already know after 30 hours of nonstop traveling...I am home. As is got off the plane, I am thankful for so many things here in the United States. Here are a few...hot water showers, toilet paper in CLEAN bathrooms, air conditioning everywhere you go, washing machines, my bed, people driving on the "correct" side of the car and road, and the water is safe to drink. On a less selfish note...We have hospitals that I would feel safe to go to, our children receive a free public education with meals provided if they are needed, if you are disabled you do not have to beg on the streets to earn a living, there are child labor laws, employers must pay fair wages and respect employees. We are blessed to call America our home country!

Location, Location, Location!

On of the most curious things about India is that most people/taxi drivers do not know street names.  Unless it is a major street no one seems to know where it is located. After British rule ended most street names went back from the British name back to it's Indian name, so most streets can and will be referred to by both names depending who you ask. You often will even see different street names on buildings right next to each other. To get around this problem you must know the landmarks around your destination and you hope that the taxi driver or person has an idea where that may be. Since I am not living on Sudder Street (a common location), I have had to learn the landmarks around the hotel to basically give directions to the taxi driver. You have to hope that they know one of them as you go down the list. Start with the area's name: Palmar Bazaar. Next tell them the name of the boys school across the street: Bhutnath School. If that does not work try the closest bridge: Motijil Bridge. If you are still not not ringing any bells try the next taxi that you flag down. By the way it is very common for taxi drivers to ask others for directions as you ride in their taxi, go figure!

Driving Miss Daisy

Guess what...The taxi strike is still on for the 25th-26th. As you know I have been working on another plan to get to the airport, since it would be very difficult to get there by bus. I also looked into staying at a hotel near the airport and walking to the airport before my flight (not too fun, but an option.)

Instead I have been able to hire a Seva Kendra driver to take me to the airport on the 25th. I have never hired a driver before, kinda crazy. It does change the $4 taxi ride into a $14 driver + A/C car ride...The biggest plus is that I will make my flight and I will not be all sweaty before I get to the airport! I will then be staying in Mumbai for 6 days before returning home.

Last day at Shanti Dan tomorow...

I begin this blog with mixed feelings. Tomorrow is my last day at Shanti Dan. This means that I am closer to coming home, but I am not looking forward to telling the girls bye. I know that many will not notice my absence and there are many other volunteers there, but I know that I will miss them! I will miss them laughing, their sweet smiles, and how they show their love through their love of life. I wish that you were all here to meet them, it is so very hard to even capture a small portion of who they are with a last day picture pass.  When you bring you camera some recognize that they most likely will not be seeing you again.

Yesterday seeing the precious village children sitting on a carpet excited to share what they are learning at school got me excited about a new bunch of kinder babies back home. I realize I am moving from one place of need on the other side of the world to a place of need back home in the US. I am grateful to be able to have both!  I never knew that I would be impacted this much by these girls here in India!

Indian Hospitality

Today, I was invited along with two of my friends (Missionaries of Charity Volunteers, Heide and Elaina) to go with the priest who runs Seva Kendra to a church parish 3 hours from Calcutta. Father Franklin was giving a talk at the church and we were invited to go along to see the church and other projects that Seva Kendra funds in that area. I am always overwhelmed by the hospitality that is offered here in India. We came down stairs and had tea waiting for us before we left (cup of tea #1) from Seva Kendra. We drove for about an hour and a half and stopped for breakfast half way to the church (cup of coffee #2). We arrived at Sacred Heart and meet the parish priests and sisters and had snacks and tea. (cup of tea #3). We then went to be introduce to the church community before the speaking engagement in English/Hindi, more snacks and tea (cup of tea #4). After the talk we had lunch with the parish community. Then off to the second Seva Kendra site similar to where I am staying, we tried the guavas growing on the grounds. We then stopped by the neighboring convent and met the sisters and had tea and bananas (cup of tea #5). Father then wanted us to see the private hospital that Seva Kendra just opened in January of this year. The priest that was running the Calcutta facility is now there running the hospital. We were given the full tour including the operating room and all the way to the kitchen (cup of coffee #6). Lastly, we went by a school for Indian children that are from very poor families. These children are given basic schooling that allows then to enter mainstream schooling that Seva Kendra will fund for them. I enjoyed seeing their smiling faces, excited about being able to go to school! We then drove back the 3 hours back to Calcutta.

It was a full 14 hour day by the time we made it back to Calcutta. We are worn out, but pleased to see another organization that is making an impact for this community. We were grateful to share so many cups of coffee and tea!

New Hotel...Seva Kendra

The Flynn girls left for home yesterday afternoon. It was a busy day of last minute shopping, saying goodbye, and packing up at the Galaxy Hotel. I have now moved into a new hotel that two volunteers we have worked with for the past 4 weeks are living. The Galaxy Hotel was more room than I needed for myself. We were paying 950 rupees per night (approximately $17 US dollars per night or about $4.25 per person). At Seva Kendra I am in a single room that I am paying $500 rupees per night. (a little less than $10 per night) I am going to be staying here for the next five days and then will be flying to Mumabi to stay with a friend's family near Mumbai for 6 days before I fly home. I am excited about living with an Indian family for a week. Everyone that I have spoken that has done this while they have been in India has had a wonderful experience.

The taxi strike is still on and I am working on making arrangements for the airport on the 25th. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Got Fans?

One thing India is very good at is installing fans everywhere. Most places do not have air conditioning  unless they are a western type establishment. (McDonalds has great A/C, but the bathroom standards are similar to most Indian places...no McFlush there!) Fans are installed from crazy heights, sometimes 10-12 feet from the ceiling. There are not too many fans unless the fan blades are touching. I got very distracted in church the other day at St. Mary's (not Mother house), because I wanted to count all the fans in the church! I would have had to stand up and count, my best guess would be between 50-60 fans in the church. They are hung from the ceiling, hung on a slant by an L shaped bracket (only seen in India), and table top oscillating fans have been modified to hang on the walls. They have long blades, short squaty blades to fit in tight places,  and dangerously wobbling blades. I should be having nightmares about death by fan blades! We are lucky to have two fans in our room, but they change speeds whenever they want...a little crazy!

Really...Seriously?! Taxi Strike!

While in Calcutta, you always here about taxi strikes. It is a holiday for everyone, because the city basically stands still. People cannot get to work and the bus system is already overloaded during high traffic times without the strike happening (Re-read my post 27+1) There are approximately 30,000 taxis in Calcutta and they are having a 2 day strike to increase their rates. Guess who scheduled her plane ticket for the first day of the strike. I am working on a few options at this time...Going to a hotel near the airport the day before and camping out there and walking to the airport or hiring a car to take me. When I scheduled the flights I was more concerned of the airline strike that had just ended and did not even think about looking if there was a planned a taxi strike. I am just not use to all the diffeent forms of transportation.

To give you an idea of what it is like riding in a taxi in India think of the following things:

1. Keep your feet on the floor and use your legs to keep yourself on the seat because of the sudden stop and go is quick and sudden.
2.Taxis occasionally drive on the sidewalk.
3. The horn is used to let everyone around you know where you are and if you are stuck in traffic hold down the horn until whatever is in front of you moves.
4. If traffic is at a stand still, taxis turn off the engines and wait until the traffic starts going again. Blow your horn just because you can!
5. Taxi drivers do not make change have exact or it is their tip.
6. Keep the windows down there is not A/C.
7. Same as a bus, keep your hands in if you want to keep them.
8. You have to negotiate your price, the first price is for suckers!

Just to give you an idea of what a 45 minute taxi ride costs from the center of  Calcutta to the airport. It cost approximately 200 rupees or $4 US dollars. Cross your fingers that the taxi strike is called off!

Chicken Aquarium

What you are probably asking....Where is this blog going?? I am going to discuss MEAT in India. I am a firm believer that as a traveler in India, I AM a vegetarian. It makes perfect since, read my following list:

1. 80% of India's population is Hindu and are vegetarian.
2.Vegetarian does not have three choices on a menu in India and is not a "special" diet here.
3. It is over 100 degrees everyday and there is not refrigeration.
4. Meat NEVER comes in plastic. It is hanging on hooks on the side of the road.
5. There are more flies and crows than you can imagine (next to, above, and on!)
6. You know you are close to a meat market. First with your NOSE, then with your eyes.
7. All the chickens we see in the morning on hanging by their feet from bike handles and this IS everyday.
(Callie likes to believe they are up for adoption, she WAS eating chicken in India...Then she saw the chicken aquarium!)

Chicken Aquarium you ask...Yes, this is my made up Indian term for a glass box that is used to keep food clean India. The man sits on the side of the road with the chickens and the chicken aquarium. He beheads the chicken  and hold them until they quit squirming (Callie also realize that running around like a chicken with your head cut off is a real term!) To one side of him is a pile of feathers. The street dogs wait in the front for the chicken guts and chicken head (street dogs eat well in India). Then the featherless, headless, gutless chicken waits inside the glass box until someone comes along to buy it, as the other chicken friends watch from the basket on the man's other side. How long does that chicken sit in that box...I am not sure, but all I can think of is how hot it is outside (who knows how hot in the glass aquarium) and all the chicken germs that where previously in there, and that salmonella is NOT my friend!

Yes, other volunteers do eat the meat here. Yes, many do get sick (is it the meat??) Many say the worst things is most likely the water. I have realized that I am the first one to follow what the guide books say, I have only had one iffy stomach day a few weeks ago. The idea a getting sick in India is worst than missing a food group in my opinion. I have loosened up a little on this trip and have been eating yogurt and curd, but only eat it at two restaurants that we regularly eat in. I did not eat any dairy on my last trip, due to typhoid. I still stay away from milk and ice cream, I am not that brave yet!

Curious Thoughts

I have just recently finished reading a book called Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen. One of the things that I read that really struck me was as follows, " The more I recognize the true gifts that in us, seemingly non-handicapped people, often remain buried beneath our talents. The so-visible brokenness of our handicapped people has, in some mysterious way, allowed then to offer their gifts freely and without inhibition."

It makes me think about our girls at Shanti Dan. Most of them cannot speak to us with words but they offer their gifts so very freely. Two of our most handicapped girls (Both have very twisted bodies and cannot sit comfortably, even in their wheelchairs) seem to have a very special bond and have beds right next to each other. Rani and Rehka both smile when you mention the others name, their faces beam when you talk to one about the other. Pinky and Sangita Mary also have beds next to each other, they laugh nonstop after lunch.  Both girls seem to get very tickled when the other wets the bed almost like it is a game. These two have also began blowing kisses across the dorm-style bedroom that they are in with 50 other girls. I am continually amazed by the more able bodied girls that offer to help the others. It happen more than I could ever notice, but they give so much of themselves to help.

This has been a true lesson in humility and compassion. The funny thing is that in these situations I always come out feeling like I have received more, than I could ever given. A true lesson in love!

Tea Time at 10 O'clock

On of my favorite times in India is tea time. Every morning at 10 o'clock everything stops. It is a time that was brought here by the British years ago in the late 1700s/early 1800s. Even though it is hot outside, we stop what we are doing and have hot sweet milk tea and biscuits (cookies that are not too sweet). At our assignment we go to a covered area in the center of the complex that is a playground and sit to have tea with the volunteers. It is a great time to visit with the volunteers that we work with from all over the world. We have worked with volunteers from Spain, Malta, Italy, England, Japan, Korea, China, Chile, Mexico, and the U.S. at Shanti Dan. We spend the time discussing our day volunteering, out lives in Calcutta, and out lives back home. There is a volunteer community here that is hard to explain, but a since of community is felt by everyone.

Adoption +2

Two more children have been adopted during the past few weeks making a total of 9 so far this trip. This was a special day because we saw our first international adoption. A European couple was here adopting their second Indian little girl (most likely their first daughter was adopted though the MC's also...during my last trip I saw quite a few second adoptions) She was about 2 1/2. The process must be considerably longer since most of Indian adoptions were infants.

This is something that I have considered for myself for a long time. I do not know when, how, or even the circumstances that have given me this desire to have adopted children some time in the future. I don't know if it would be an international or domestic adoption, but the option is open and the desire is there.

Lessons...Kicking and Screaming!

Sometimes looking into the lessons you are learning is painful, frustrating, and a huge pain in the butt! Everyone that is volunteering is aware that their are many lesson that you learn in these situations. Sometimes you are not able to see them until you are home and some continue to look you in the face during the trip. It is partially because of the time you have to spend looking at yourself, your pace of life changes, and you are out of your comfort zone.

As a teacher, I have a goal or curriculum to follow and have a structure that is straight forward. I have struggled with not having this here. Our girls have goals lined out for them and many volunteers seem to ignore them, probably out of lack of experience or know how. We are now the volunteers in the group that have been at our assignment the longest for Shanti Dan volunteers. When people ask for advice it seem to be given and forgotten about. Today, my lesson was more in my face than usual...We have a method to hanging laundry to maximize the space that it used. Things that must be dried stay in one area if it looks like rain, sheets are always hung in the uncovered area. All things are hung in the sun if the sky looks clear and it will not rain soon. I reminded some of the new volunteers that have been her for about a week, about how to hang since it was sunny. Needless to say, they ignored it and I just left it alone. Not long later, I was asked to go to the roof top and move the laundry that had been hung for the past hour over where I had asked the girls to hang it. It was now quite hot and I was alone on the roof moving laundry. Pulling it down and carrying it across the roof and rehanging it!

I was hot because of the heat and hot because no one listened. LESSON...Let go of the control. It is my personality to be in control, maybe because I am the oldest, I am in control in my classroom at school, I have a little stubborn streak...This lesson has been my biggest struggle for the last few weeks, my biggest obstacle on this trip. My job is to let got of the control and embrace the change. Half of the lesson is just realizing it is to be learned!

Ray of Hope

The area that we work in at Shanti Dan is called Ray of Hope, more than anything it is to celebrate life. These girls will never be adopted and will live there lives in the care of Missionaries of Charity. Their physical needs are met. The girls are fed, clothed, bathed, they receive physical therapy. Some times I feel that our job is to show joy, love, and compassion.

On the other hand, we have only been here three weeks and  we have seen 7 children adopted through the MC's to Indian couples. All of the children were under one year old, but you realize if they are adopted early they will not be here when they are older and harder to find families for. One of the neat things is that the family comes to morning mass before they take their new baby home and the mass is said for the children being adopted that week. In this too you can see a ray of hope. Though there are children in the MC orphanages, they are being adopted.

Nirmal Hriday- Immaculate Heart

Today I was one of the volunteers that was able to go work in the first slum school that Mother Teresa opened. The school has been remodeled and will be reopened soon for more students. The goal of this school is to get poor children ready to go into actual school programs that will be paid for by the Missionaries of Charity. I spent the day mending rugs with upholstery thread , fabric, and plastic to put an edge around the rug to keep it from coming apart. The work was not fun or easy, but the blessing came in another way.

Working with the MC's you have very limited times actually visiting with the sisters. You may work along side them, but it is very evident that they have assigned tasks and busily go about there work. The two volunteer coordinators are Sister Mercy Maria and Sister Margaret (There job is to organize all the volunteers). With high season of volunteers in full swing they do not have much time to visit with you.Right now there are so many volunteers that they do not have any morning or afternoon assignments available, until people leave and there is room for their place to be filled.

Today while mending rugs one of the sisters, Sister Eucharistina, called me over to help her hold the fabric and plastic in place as she was sewing (much easier if you work at a team). This was the beginning of a wonderful conversation, her telling me of her interactions with Mother Teresa, telling me about how she became an MC sister, her gently telling me that I had little faith when she asked if I was doing the Lord's work teaching (giggling as she assured me that I was). I have never had more than brief interactions with the sisters and many times you do not know their names beyond Sister. It was a great day. I enjoyed hearing her ask about me, the U.S., why I was in India. She shared the same with me, she answered my questions, talked about her life before she was and MC, her life now. As we worked she stopped and looked at me and told me, "Mother never worked this way (looking down during a task), she worked this way (as she peered into my eyes)" She let me know how present Mother Teresa was with everyone. She was passionate and present.

Any Ideas?

Sara, Marie and Callie are going to be leaving in about 10 days to head back home. I don't have definite plans for the next two weeks.  Most people I have met are doing the same traveling that I did on the last trip. Some are going to Agra (to see the Taj Mahal) or to Darjeeling (the Himalaya foothills near Nepal) I had a great opportunity to go to Bangladesh with an architect from Portugal that we are volunteering with but $150 for a visa for 2 days seemed a little bit ridiculous. If you can think of any great ideas or if you have done some traveling in India, please email me at ashleymrayner@gmail.com with a great plan. Love you guys!

Bananna Nutella Pancakes

I have been eating Indian food until my heart is content for the past few weeks. I have eaten enough naan (Indian bread cooked on the inside of a clay oven) and rice that is should be coming out of my ears! Lots on matar paneer (peas and Indian pressed cheese in a masala,  tomato based sauce), yellow dal fry (lentils in a yellow broth), channa paneer (chickpeas and Indian pressed cheese in a masala, tomato based sauce). We are also eating Kati rolls, an Indian roll that consists of and egg cooked on a flaky pancake type bread that is filled with onions and am Indian spiced hot sauce (Quite hot if you do not tell them to hold the extra hot peppers!) For a change of pace we occasionally eat breakfast for dinner. I am a fan of the tomato cheese omelets, fresh mangoes with curd (homemade Greek yogurt) and honey. The biggest treat are the banana nutella pancakes, much more of a desert than a true breakfast. It definitely works to satisfy my sweet tooth, since you are not able to find the typical sweet that we get at home. We have sworn off talking about the food that we can not have because it makes you crazy, no hamburger and ice cream talk here!

27+1

Those are what you see as you climb onto an Indian mini-bus (not a full size bus). What this means is 27 passengers plus 1 driver. To get to our work assignment, we walk for about ten minutes to the bus stop, take bus 166 and ride the bus for 20 minutes, then walk another 5 minutes to Shanti Dan. The funny thing about 27+1 is that there are about 40-50 people actually on the bus. There are more railing and places to hold on to than you can imagine, people sit on the engine compartment, and many buses have a tool box behind the driver that can usually has room for one on top. When finally arrive at your destination after about 20 minutes, you are soaked with sweat. I fell like I am sticky all day long. Riding the bus is not for the faint of heart to say the least, you try not to think of your a/c car back home :) Rule #1: Hold on even when the bus is not moving, they suddenly take off. Rule #2: Know when you are getting off because you have to squeeze through all the people to get to the door (kinda like a game to get someone to stand when you were and so forth) Rule #3: Watch the road or you will start feeling ill  from the stop and go motion of the bus. Rule #4: NEVER let even your fingers/any other body part hang out of the window (buses pass within inches of each other, good chance you may loose them) Rule #5: Bus guys will not make change for big bills (try to have very small notes or exact change.) Today I managed to get my pants hung on a screw or a piece of metal and now have a hole in the side of them, but I avoided the skin and the hole could have been huge. I survived another day on the bus!

Sundays at Shanti Dan

Sundays at Shanti Dan are a change from the norm. Sundays are "play" days, so no class! Instead much of the mornings are filled with singing songs and puppet shows (made up on the spot). The girls love face painting and having their finger nails polished. They know that Sundays are special days, they are dressed up a little nicer in their matching outfits, all the sheets are washed on Sunday and special sheets are put on the beds. This past week we had quiet a few new volunteers, so many of the girls had wheelchair races around the courtyard walkway. A wheelchair race consists of someone pushing you faster then usual, but the girls seem to really enjoy the change of pace. Today I was given a bottle of Barbie Bubble Gum Pink nail polish to paint nails. None of the painting really looked that great, but many of them got at least one hand done. It is really hard for some of them to open their hands, so some only had thumb nails done. Rani, one of the girls with spastic cerebral palsy (Inability to relax muscles) lifted her feet up for me to do her toes. Her body is so very stiff and contorted, it was a lot of effort to let me know she needed her toes done also. In the end, I managed to get four fingers, two thumbs, and five toes painted. Her sweet smile was the reward for all that effort!

Blessings!

I have been thinking about hearing the phrase, "I am here to be broken." I hear it from so many of the volunteers. I have to think back to my college days, when my prayer was to be broken in situations. Now I have decided that this is foolish, we are all ready broken people. My life is more broken then what I want it to be, why ask to be broken more than I already am. The world is already broken, that is why this is poverty and hunger. Instead, my prayer is for blessings. I want to see the world not from a broken perspective, but through blessings that I am/will receive. This trip is not to break me, it is to bless me with smiles, love, since of giving, laying out a new perspective on life!

Religion in India

One of the things that most interests me about India is the religious tolerance that is seen across the city. I enjoy seeing Mother Teresa's picture hung next to Hindu gods, they are both adorned with strung flowers. In morning mass you hear adhan (Muslim call to prayer) and four other times through out the day. In the morning, people are quietly filing into the mosques and washing before prayer. As you walk down the street you see small Hindu alters to Shiva and Kali with people leaving garlands/offerings and lighting incense. There are people peddling strung flowers to be bought as offerings. There are holy cows that wonder through the street that sometimes stop traffic.

Today we went to see Belur Math, a Ramakrishna Hindu temple and monastery that was started by Swami Ramakrishna ion the late 1800s. I enjoyed visiting my first Hindu monastery. It was beautiful to see the 40 acre compound along the bank of the Hoogly River.

Calcutta the City of Joy

Calcutta is a place filled with a community that is hard to describe. I believe that I have been drawn back here because of the feeling of community that exists in this town.  So much life is out in the streets and ally ways. I have never been excited to wake up at five in the morning, except in India. The twenty minute walk to Mother House is filled with people starting their fires and making tea, the street sweepers are busy with their brooms and wheelbarrows, laundry being done at the corner water pumps, people are covered in soapy lather taking their morning bath, teeth brushing, taxis being washed, and the occasional late sleeper in doorways and in truck beds. The town is alive and getting ready for the day. It is nothing like my mornings back home. I think of how rarely I see my neighbors at home, but walking down the streets here is similar to looking to a persons life. It is a fishbowl of sorts, giving a morning nod or hello, children dancing behind you as you move along your way. We see the man delivering bread, another delivering milk, bicycles covered in chicken hanging by their feet on their way to market. The horns are not blaring yet, the streets are quiet and beautiful.

Reflection

The past two days I have spent a lot of time thinking about being here in India. It is easy to joke about the heat, our hotel, and the funny things that happen here. It is easy to hide behind the funny things that occur, but hard to be vulnerable enough  to express how I am being changed, being stretched, and could laugh and cry in many moments of my day. I think about the girls that you will never see smile, that are teaching me everyday, who are joyous without words. I think about Pinky today, washing bibs after lunch today with her dress tucked into her underwear. As she joyfully stomped in a bucket of water and bibs! A girl named Baby (who is actually older them me) who gives the volunteers the cold shoulder, patted the bench next to her and invited me to color in a coloring book with her today. I had a wonderful "conversation" with a girl who is not able to speak! I reflect on being blessed blessed in my own life, but see the blessings in these girls lives as well. One of the new volunteers came to Shanti Dan today, she had struggled with her feeelings about how sad things are here.(Yes, many of the girls are challenged beyond belief and the first day is very hard!) She will soon see that this is a Happy Place! We celebrate the small victories! I am glad to day that I am a part of it this summer.

Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin...

This is the book that I began reading just a few days ago. This isn't a plug for a book, but  it has really had me reflecting on this trip. I recognize that this is not the easiest task... it is hot, the food can be unsafe, and I am doing many things that are out of my comfort zone. All and all, that is why it is so wonderful, doing this trip stretches you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It all boils down to the fact that you are blessed in the process of blessing others. The girls that we are helping to teach, care for, and help with their everyday needs...push me to a limit that I am not 100% comfortable with. Cecelia who has cerebal palsy can physically explain her needs but can not get her body to cooperate, she needs help holding a cup and being lifted to the toilet. Suporna cannot speak because of her disabilities, smiles when she can no longer hold her spoon to feed herself and she will wait for you to awkwardly feed her the Bengali way with your hands.
( Making balls of food with your right hand and pushing them into her mouth with your thumb.) Surprisingly I have mastered that task and she continues to smile. Asha, one of our lively smiley girls has Down Syndrome. She had a chronic cold, but continues to smile and giggle. She loves "helping" carry laundry in her small bucket to the roof during laundry time. She is wonderfully in the way of our task, but it would not be nearly as enjoyable without her. These are only a few of the 65 girls, but even as slight as it may seem I believe we are all impacted by the other and that is what makes it so beautiful!

Other blogs to follow...India trips 2012.

I added two blogs...

ThenFeedJustOne.blogspot.com - Two volunteers from Idaho that we are working with at Shanti Dan, they are here for 10 weeks.

MyIndAdvenutre.blogspot.com - Marie's blog about her experiences here in India.

Oh, Delhi Belly

Being in India, it is not IF you get Delhi Belly...It is only a matter if time UNTIL you do! I have promised to not disclose any other names of other Delhi Belly patrons :) in this posting. Sara, Marie, and Callie laughed as everyone we meet the first few days told us how they feel, it hey had been sick, how long it lasted even during dinner. My favorite was when a volunteer from Austria came up at dinner and asked us to relay a message to his group back at the Mother House (main building for Missionaries of Charity). "Please tell Mark from Canada that Daniel from Austria has not been feeling well. I have been running to the bathroom with diarrhea every five minutes for the past two day, but I am feeling better now." Marie almost fell out of her chair laughing as he walked away, because she did not get how much these conversations really do happen in India. Choosing a place to eat dinner is a BIG decision, especially if it puts you out of commission for 3 days! People even discuss how much water they are drinking, the number of times you have to actually go vs. sweating it all out, ask if you are drinking Gatorade or re-hydration packets, my new favorite term is "dreamsicle pee"...very bad thing to have in India. Get yourself hydrated!

Yes, I am actually posting this for the world to read! I survived my first 12 hour bout, no antibiotics, feeling great! Remember I am not disclosing any other names of Delhi belly patrons in this posting! If you are not willing to get sick in India, don't risk the trip... it WILL happen!

Galaxy Hotel is like a Super Camping Trip!

We have been laughing for days that our hotel is like camping out. Checking into a hotel in India is not what you would expect at home! If the hotel does not say that is has A/C, it will not have it. We are spending 950 rupees per night for all four of us ( roughly $17 dollar per night or $4.25 per person) for a midrange hotel room with A/C. You are not provided with sheets or towels, and the room is not cleaned regularly. We happened to get bottom sheets on the beds and three pillows in our room...Score!  Luckily we were prepared with what we needed!

We are hand washing our clothes in buckets in the bathroom and have a clothes line that hangs on three walls. Once the clothes stop dripping the the bathroom we have to move them inside under that fan to get them to dry. We keep talking about our "crispy misshapen clothes" You may forget how much you love washers, dryers, and fabric softener.

Indian plumbing is another matter. Water is brought by a truck and it fills a tank for you to use for showering, laundry, and flushing toilets. If there is any leaking it drains the tank, so the water is turned off every night and is not turned on until the next morning. Plus there is not enough pressure to flush the toilet, even without toilet paper (all disposed of in the trash). You have to fill an bucket and pour it in the toilet at the same time you flush.

One great plus is Harry the owner, he is quick to hail you a cab, offer his help, and answer questions. We were going to meet some other volunteers in an area that I was not familiar with. He got us a cab and had the cabbie to follow him on his moped so he could not take us the long way to charge us extra (a common occurrence here in India with foreigners)

It Feels like 123 Degrees Fahrenheit!

I just checked the weather... Marie and I came over to the internet cafe to check our email and blog. There is no air conditioning in this little upstairs cafe, we are sweating like we are running a marathon. It is just another reminder that we are not in Texas anymore! We just laughed when I checked the weather and it feels like 123 degrees fahranheit. No surprise that you can sweat  this bad from sitting still and only typing!

Thursdays is the volunteers day off, so we were very happy to sleep in for the first time since we made it to India. After going to breakfast we walked to the Victoria Memorial ( about a 30 minutes walk from out hotel) and visited the museum inside the memorial. It is filled the history of Calcutta and the influence of British rule in West Bengal.

Funny story from the trip....
It is not usually recommended in the travel books to tell everyone you are from the United States, I usually just feel the situation out if someone asks. It is easy to forget that all our movies and advertising makes it over to India and people are more connected with the internet than they were even 10 years ago. Callie was asked by someone where she was from and she told them Australia, then they proceeded to ask here about many of the landmarks that she was not familiar with. In her mind she thought she needed to come up with a more obscure place that people did not know as much about...Austria was it! Not long after the first incident, she was asked again where she was from and she replied Austria. The man who appeared to be a begger in the streets, began fluently talking to her in German! At this point, she just began telling the she was from the US.

1 Week in India

We have survived our first week in India. We were definitely blessed with the rain the first few days, so it eased us into the heat. We are drinking crazy amounts of water, but over all everyone is still feeling well. We have found our stride at Shanti Dan, We are now seem to know what is going on and what to do at work. Callie and I are working with one specific class and Marie and Sara are in two different classrooms, we enjoy talking about the funny and exciting things that happened in each of our classrooms. Sometimes it is as simple as a girl responding to her name or doing better feeding herself. We have a fun group of volunteer girls that we have found here, and go to lunch often after a long exhausting morning of work.

Laundry!

Most of you can not figure out why I am writing this entire post in doing laundry, but just give me a minute...One of our main tasks in the morning after we reach Shanti Dan is helping with the laundry. This definitely does not consist of throwing a load into the machine and turning the dial to get it to start and walking away. We are doing the laundry for sixty five girls, at least 50 of them are severely handicapped and wear washable diapers and there are multiple clothing and bedding changes for each girl daily. This enormous task is completed by the able bodied girls, 2 to 3 Missionaries of Charity sisters, 5 or 6 employed staff, and all the volunteers (14 total at this time).

1. The laundry is placed in wash tubs with laundry soap and stepped on (like stomping grapes for wine) 
2. It is then scrubbed together on itself and brushed with a hard bristle brush in the highly soiled spots.
3. Added to the first rinse tank, rinsed out, and wrung out.
4. Next, it goes into the second rinse tank, rinsed out and wrung out. It is placed in a five gallon bucket.
5. The five gallon buckets are carried  up two flights of stairs to the roof.
6. The laundry is then hung out to dry on  laundry lines that a spaced approximately 8-10 inches apart.

I have no idea how many trips up the stairs it takes! It takes about a hour for this to be completed, and I have no idea how this task is complete during the year when there are not as many volunteers. I just know that this is a labor of love and I have an enormous respect for the women who do this daily to provide for the needs of these girls.

Santyi Dan (Our volunteer assignment)

We (Sara, Marie, Callie, and I) started our volunteer job yesterday with Missionaries of Charity. We are working in a home for mentally and physically challenged girls from 12 and up. We walked in not knowing exactly what to expect. Much to my surprise, I recognized a few of the girls from my last trip when they were much younger during my last assignment six years ago.

We are still figuring out how things work, but out second day was much smoother than the first! Our mornings begin with doing laundry from the previous day for 65 girls. (hand washing/ line hanging...more details to come, actually an entire post!) Activities for the girls who are divided up into groups by abilities. Lunch for the girls and nap time. Yes, it takes all 4 hours to make these four things happen!

It is all quite overwhelming to explain this and will have to be broken down in a few posts!

Special notes....
No one has been run over by a rickshaw!
No one has gotten sick yet!
The monsoon rains have not begun.
Marie and I half tricked Callie into eating street noodles made at Sunil's Chinese Noodle Palace, she liked them.

 We finally arrived yesterday after 30 hours of traveling! We talked about our jet setting and having lunch in Germany, that doesn't happen everyday. Yesterday afternoon we went to the orientation for our volunteering job and will start work tomorrow. We will be working at a Missionaries of Charity house working with mentally and/or physically challenged teenagers/young women. The thought of it all is a little overwhelming to be honest. 

Today we traveled to Titagarah, a leprosy clinic that is run by the Missionaries of Charity Brothers. It was very eye opening and interesting to see a self sufficient community that has been shunned by their own society. They work with a meaning and a purpose, if these jobs were not provided they would be begging on the street. They would not be hired for work because of the negative stigma that leprosy carries.  They work on looms, and make all the saris and bedding etc... used by Missionaries of Charity around the world. It is ancient machinery, it makes you think how every item of clothing you own is made! It is cool to see how these cured individuals help make it possible for Missionaries of Charity to function.
 
It has rained twice today so the humidity is through the roof. We are drinking 2-3 liters of water a day and are constantly feeling sticky from all the sweat. It doesn't even bother us that there is only old water in the hotel.

Miss you guys, I wish you were here to experience all the sights, smells, and sounds in this city! I had some amazing milk tea and veg-curry tonight for dinner.

The Next Adventure...

India 2006....Now the next adventure!

I will be leaving again for my next India adventure in just a few days...I am filled with excitement and awaiting what is to come.

It is hard to prepare for what is ahead, we will be arriving during the toughest seasons in India. Monsoon season has just begun, rain is expected for the first 10 days we will be there. The temperature will be in the 90s, but with approximately 80% humidity. Calcutta is a city of 4.5 million people (63,000 per square mile. Let the adventure begin...Hoping that the city is not knee deep in water when we arrive.

During my travels, I have seen real poverty, but not like the poverty I have experienced in India. I am excited about being able to volunteer with Missionaries of Charity again this year.
I reflect back on the last trip and my plans to volunteer and realize that I probably received more from that experience then I was able up give.

Thank you to all of you who have supported this trip and dream of mine. I would not be possible without all of you!