My first week: Calcutta

Whew! My first week in India is officially over. What a week it has been!

I finished out my time in Calcutta. Since I last posted, the bulk of my last few days in Calcutta have been dedicated to working with the Missionaries of Charity, which Mother Teresa started after moving to Calcutta.

My guesthouse is located down the street from the Missionaries of Charity’s Motherhouse, where Mother Teresa lived for most of her time in Calcutta. Her grave is located inside – it’s such a beautiful and peaceful respite from the chaos that is Calcutta (they have mass there too!). I went here before my volunteer orientation on Friday afternoon to see it and asked the Sisters there if they needed help with anything, since I had nothing else planned for the afternoon. They’re all so cheerful, and were happy to put me to work stuffing prayer cards and handing them and medals out to everyone who came. It was strange being a representative for the place after not having set foot inside for more than half an hour; what authority did I have to greet people to a place I didn’t know? But it was cool to be able to hand things out and talk to those visiting from around the world.

Basically, Mother Teresa set up a few missions around town (the first – Kalighat –catering to the dying and destitute), and her sisters have expanded since then. They accept volunteers from anywhere, anytime to work at these various missions, which include serving the poor, sick, homeless, dying, and all-around ignored and ostracized people of Calcutta. I ended up spending my time working at a home for mentally- and/or physically-disabled children. It was so hard to witness the condition of some of these children – one of which particularly was close to dying because of water on the brain or a tumor or something to that effect. And I felt a little out of my element (apparently that’s a common sentiment for new volunteers around there). But we fed them, changed them, played with them, and did some stretches with them to improve their muscle function – hard work, but good work.

Clearly, some of these children are sickly or in pain. Most were left by their parents either after birth or later on in their lives, and some were found on the streets or in dumpsters and nursed back to relative health by the Sisters.  The Sisters are apparently somewhat controversial (particularly in the Western world) and are criticized for providing some level of medical care when not properly trained. But the fact of the matter is, they’re doing the best they can with what they have. Who could say these people are not better off having at least some security and consistency in these various missions? I could certainly not say that of Moshami, a particularly beautiful baby that I spent a lot of time with on Sunday. (She had the brightest eyes!) And I will never forget trying to feed another baby boy who seems to spend the majority of his days laughing at anything and everything!

Regarding some of the other things I did in Kolkata, I walked out to see some more sights on Saturday after volunteering. Thank goodness these are easier to find than some of the others I had looked for previously! I saw the planetarium – apparently it’s a particularly notable one. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to make it out to a show. I walked around the grounds of the Art Institute, which were somewhat laughable. The random concrete statues placed around the grounds were not at all unlike some of the things I’ve seen around art museums back in the states. Then, I walked over to the Victoria Memorial – a HUGE, beautiful marble building erected in honor of England’s Queen Victoria, “the first queen-empress of Calcutta” according to a plaque inside.

From the start, this place was interesting in that it charged a 10 rupee entrance fee for Indians, and a 150 rupee fee for foreigners. This is apparently not an uncommon thing (and is particularly prevalent, and problematic, in taxis.) They waste no time in making money off of foreigners around here! Anyway, entering the gardens around the memorial was worth the fee – it was beautiful and generally quieter than the bustling streets of the city. Inside, however, was a different story – it was SO crowded, and you’re whirled around in a circular pattern - there’s no ambling around this museum! 

                It was here that I came up with a tactic for answering particularly persistent “Miss, what country are you from?”s. (Don’t get me wrong – I have loved meeting people here, but when out by oneself, you have to be careful about who you share information with.) If someone persistently asks or starts to walk with me, I turn around and say, “Lo siento, pero no hablo ingles.” It’s dishonest and my last result, but has been effective the few times I’ve had to employ it! Curse the day I use it on someone proficient in Spanish around here! (I’ve already met one!) I may have to switch to Polish… 

                So anyway, after the Victoria Memorial, I swung back to hit the Anglican Cathedral. It’s also a pretty large stone edifice, and also a quiet respite from the noise of the streets. It’s pretty inside: it has beautiful woodwork and some great old mosaics portraying St. John’s life as described in various parts of the bible.

That's about as much detail as I have time for at the moment. All-in-all, it was totally worth the confusion of trying to leave early for India! I saw a lot of things, good and bad, but all important. Currently back in Delhi, soon leaving for Udaipur - more to come on that later!