India - Part 5: Kolkata City and Indian friends September 21-October 2

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What I did in India when I wasnt volunteering - I made friends and explored the territory of Kolkata.



Sept 19: As my plane neared Kolkata airport‘s runway, I felt thankful for the oppotunity to touch Indian ground. When we exited the plane I was smeared with a wave of hot, humid air. It looked like a very green land, but densely populated. Any area that wasnt touched by roads & concrete buildings was packed full of banana trees it seemed.

I had to give a false address to get past immigration, and then took a taxi that charged me $20 for 45 minutes – 5x the true value of the ride, but busses were on strike. Great. I took a subway for the remainder of the ride to Rabindra Sadan Station, and it was a gong show - how packed could the car get full of people? The train istelf probablz had 2000-3000 people on it. I found that people were verz willing to help me, whether with directions or handing me my bag as I squeezed off the train.

Finally I was on the street, with my 70 lbs pack pack, tent, and a stick that Isaya’s dad carved for me before I left the boma. There were shops and food vendors everywhere, and the sidewalks were crowded with people sitting or walking, some dressed in formal suits and others wearing tattered pieces of clothing and no shoes, and occasionally somone begging. But everyone was Indian, I saw no foreigners for the first few hours. My first task was to find a host. I figured I could find someone who would be glad to offer a place of stay to a stranger for free, so that I could experience the culture from within. In Africa it could be done safely, and I felt the same for India. The matter was finding the right person. Fortunately many Indians speak english, maybe 50%. I walked quickly & in no particular direction... 4 hours to go till registration at the Motherhouse as a volunteer.

After finding one man who lives on the streets, I decided to try some food at a sidewalk stand, and sat down next to another young man waiting in line for a haircut. His name was Sagar, aged 26 & works at KFC for $3 per day. When I asked him if I could visit his family for a night, he welcomed me to his home. I asked if there was anzthing I could bring as a gift, and he said no, his family would be glad to meet me already. He gave me his cell phone number and went back to work till 5pm. My meal came to about 50 cents, and I remained sitting on the sidewalk (on a box) while Sagar had his face shaved. The barber had great posture and was sitting in a half lotus yoga position with only a piece of cardboard separating him from the pavement. I wondered how he could endure it for so long, but in India its normal.

A young boy (7-ish) aproached me as I sat there held my hand. My spider senses told me to watch out for my belongings, but I still wanted to treat the boy well so I gave him some canadian pins and let him see my camera. Then a woman came over, grabbed him bz the arm, started shouting at him, and gave me the pins back. Next thing I knew he was holding a brick, and motioning that he was about to throw it at her head. She didnt seem afraid of it at all but to be saying something like “Go ahead, and I’ll shove your face into the sidewalk.'' The boy had tears running down his face, and put the brick down. I suspect she might have been scorning him for trying to steal from me, but she couldnt speak english. After she left, the boy came and held my hand again. He could speak some english. I thought of how I should treat him and showed a gentle, forgiving expression. I considered how I would feel in his shoes. Actually, he didnt have shoes. “Whats your name?'' I asked. “Sonny'', he replied. He told me he has 2 older brothers and a mom. His brothers were right beside us washing dishes at a sidewalk restaurant.They looked 10-12. When I decided to go, I let Sonney come with me all the way to the Motherhouse. He helped me carry my tent. Then I gave him 50 rupees, thanked him, and said goodbye.

At the motherhouse,one of the sisters asked me where Im staying, and when I told her about Sagar’s invitation, she was concerned, and told me that I cant trust Indian people. She convinced me to book a hotel with some of the other volunteers, at least for the night. So at 5pm I phoned Sagar and told him what the sisters had told me, and that Iäd like to reschedule mz visit for a later date. Then I went with some volunteers to a hotel and booked a room for $3. It was small and humid, but good enough. In the evening I walked a bit and found some dinner. Mz hotel was in the middle of a thousand busz streets. Apparantly drugs are easy to find in Kolkata because it wasnt long before I was asked “Do you wnat some hash brother?'' I told the man “no, I dont use drugs anymore'', took him out for dinner and got to know him instead. He was quite willing to open up his life to me. It seems like there isnt much help for people like Sagram here in Kolkata. Most organizations and people dont do anything to make it easier to find honest work.



Sept 22: After volunteering today, I met a guy named Steven, age 23. He told me his situation and I listened. He said that he came from a village to Kolkata 2 months ago to look for work to support himself and his family, and has been doing anzthing he can for money in the meantime, which is earning him $2-5 per week. He sleeps on the sidewalk and has blisters on his feet because he had his sandals stolen a few weeks ago. On the bright side, the manager of a large cargo shipping company named “Dogliver Boats'' has offered Steven a job as a security guard. All he needed was some prerequisits – a passport photo ($5), and an identification card ($18). “Come on, I’ll buy those for you,'' I said. “Oh thank you so much my brother, I have no way of paying for it.''

We went to a restaraunt for a snack, and Steven got kicked out of the first one before we were even seated, because of his clothes & bare feet. He seemed used to being rejected. The next restaurant we went to let him in. I learned that his dad speaks english, but steven is completely uneducated. I taught him the first 7 letters of the alphabet, and even that was a stretch for his memory to handle. I also asked him what his future dreams look like, and he told me about his idea to open and manage a few fruit stands after working at Dogliver Boats for a while, get some education from his dad, and build a few houses in a village to rent out to other people. Eventually marriage & kids were on the list. And he also wants to give back, to help his parents and eventually help people like him who are struggling to get a job once he can afford to do that. I took in what I was hearing with what I was seeing, and my overall impression of Steven is that he was a good investment for me to make. After dinner we went to my hotel, and as soon as we entered the gate, the manager came and pushed Stephen out. I shouldnt have been so quick to invite him in. Amazingly, Steven took responsibility for it.

Sept 23: Today I was sick, stayed in bed, and met with Steven at 4pm. He helped me get a good deal on a cell phone, and then we went for a meal together. He told me that his ID card was being processed but couldnt leave the company. And that the manager required him to buy star badges as well for the security uniform. “New badges are $5500R (about$115)'', he told me. I had confidence that he was telling me the truth but still wanted to see where my donations were going. “Im not ready to give you that much right now,'' I said. Then he told me that all that would be necessary is 2500-3000R for a second hand set. I agreed to buy the badges, and wanted to get a move on so I could return to bed. But I told him that I‘d like to meet his manager or another staff member face to face tomorrow if possible.

Sept 24:Today Steven brought a man from Dogliver Boats to meet me. He didn’t have his ID with him, but talked extensively about the hiring process they have and some details of the job. He then told me that theres still one more step Steven needs to do – registration with the company, which would be 6400R. I resisted the idea at first– thats $133. The trust is the issue, not the money. Steven was praying silently as I talked with the man who claimed to be from Dogliver Boat. He had a lot of information on the company. I considered all the positive things I’ve seen in Stevens character, like his initiative to make plans for his future, his desire to help others, & his humility before others. The man said it needs to be done as soon as possible to complete the process. I dont like pressure, its a sales tactic. But after weighing everything out on some invisible scale, I decided my trust was greater than the risk. One of the expectations I had on this trip was to respond to such needs as they opened up to me. After a visit to an ATM machine, I gave Steven the money. Before saying goodbye, I gave him my cell phone number and email address, and we agreed to meet in 2 days at 4pm. I prefered to put a day in between our next meet. He thanked me many times and hugged me as we said goodbye.

Sept 25: Today I felt ok to volunteer again, and on my way back I met another man named Ronney. My first thought was “Please not another man asking for money'', but he explained that he knows Kolkata inside and out and could take me around. I took the opportunity gladly. He also told me that he was once an abandoned kid on the street, then was taken in by the sisters of Missionaries of Charity as a teenager, and in his twenties he volunteered for 7 years with them. He’s now 65.

Ronney took me to an Indian Marketplace where there were people sitting on the floor everywhere selling food. As we sat for tea, he explained that the people that work in the market live in the market. They may earn 150R per day, about $3. He pointed above the patches of veggetables covering the floor, where there were small rooms fit snuggly to the ceiling, each with a ladder coming down from its doorway. Its a market lifestyle.

Next, we went to a Jane temple. „“The jane are the nicest people in India, thez dont even hurt the ants,'' Ronney told me. We approached a gate that led into the temple, and once we walked through it, I felt like this was not the India I had seen so far. It was... quiet...and clean... and empty. There were decorations, gardens, and a pond in between the 3 buildings within the temple wall. And the main temple was one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. Covered with tinz fragments of stained glass and tile, I was told not to take pictures inside of it, not even to wear shoes inside of it. Ronney & I walked up the stairs, and went inside barefoot. It was quiet, only a few people were inside the building which was decorated even more on the interior with beautiful chandaliers, tiny tiles that covered everz square inch, and a giant goddess sitting on a chair in the center at the back of the room. Jane is one of 10 main gods in Hinduism. I bought an envelope of pictures of those 10 gods from the temple keeper, who took me around the rest of the temple. Afterwards, Ronney took me back to my hotel and we agreed to meet again. I gave him $10.

Sept 26: After volunteering today, Steven wasnt there to meet me. I did dome chores, found someoneto do laundry, and ate guavas and a pomegranate. I didnt hear from Steven again. But to his credit, I gave him the wrong phone number and he doesnt know how to write an email.

Sept 27: Today I didnt volunteer, instead Ronney took me to his village. We rode a train for an hour to a much less populated area. It was quiet and green. There were grass fields,ponds, and coconut trees around us as we walked through a winding street of houses in the sun. We arrived at Ronneys house and I met his wife and neighbours. There was only one house nearby, the rest of the area was covered in a green grass - rice fields. His wife is 49 and has diabetes & gout. His neighbours are a wife & husband with 3 girls, one of whom was home when I visited. They are staying for free at that house till the owner gets back in a few months. Before they were begging on the streets with nothing, but Ronney convinced the owner to let this poor family use the house while looking for work. That kind of thinking makes sense to me. When I met them, they were wrapping little firecrackers in blue tinfoil, which they would sell before the upcoming Indian festival in October. The young girl smiled at me, and I tried wrapping some of the fircrackers, but she was 3 times faster than me. Then she went to the little pond in front of the houseand reeled in a tiny fish on the fishing line, and cut it on a knife.

Ronney’s wife made us lunch – some rice and a pumpkin that I picked off a vine from their roof. Then I had a shower in their front yard with a bucket and a towel wrapped around my waist. There was a water well just a few meters away from the house, and the water felt so cool & refreshing. Ronney told me to use as much as I want, it will never run out. In Africa water can be hard to come by, but apparently not in India. Ronney’s property is surrounded by rice fields that stretched towards the sun for miles with a few trees placed in the view. Village life is beautiful. Except that you’re poor.

Sept 28: After volunteering, I met Ronney to see more of Kolkata. He took me to a famous bridge that the English had built 150 years ago when they were trying to colonize India. And then to a crematory to see the traditional way for families to say goodbye to loved ones. I watched one family gathered around an old mans body, which they covered in paint and ritualistic things. One man was having a tough time saying his final goodbye, and was asking for 5 more minutes. 2 women were bawling and putting their faces on his chest and feet. Some of the other family members were in some kind of argument. I could feel their deep pain, and shared in their tears, privately. Then I watched his body slide into the furnace. It was a reminder that this body will one day fade away.

Ronney took me to see one of the many parts of Kolkata’s slumbs, which is one of the biggest in the world. We walked on a train track which had many little houses on the side. There was garbage everywhere, and children playing around us. It was discusting. We stayed shortly and had tea at a small tea stand, and then left.

Sept 29: This morning Ronney & I took a train to a big Hindu temple called Dhaknuswar.No cameras allowed. I learned that the main god they worship there is a female named Kali who killed her husband and is mostly evil. I was surprised that there would be an evil god. Around the center temple were about 20 small temple buildings, each with a 3 foot tall marble statue of a penis in each one. The people pray before these penises to Kali for good sex... I wonder what Isaya would think if he were here...or Zebediah

When Ronney & I left Kali’s temple, we walked through a park where there were dozens of monkeys around us playing & eating food from people. At the end of the park we got on a boat with aobut 60 other people and headed up a big channel and over to the other side. We walked through some trees to a gigantic temple called Belurmath, where the god Krishna, who is the god above all other gods in Hinduism, is worshiped. This was the biggest temple Ronney showed me, with several buildings but one main one, which was spacious and quiet, with people meditating. I sat down on the floor with Ronney amongst the people for a few minutes, appreciated the moment, and went up to look at the statue of Krishna at the front of the room. “Looks like Abe Lincoln’s memorial statue'', I thought. When Ronney and I left, I asked him how Indian people are able to sit cross legged on the tile floor for so long. He showed me one of his ankles, which had a thick callous on the outside.

Next Ronney took me to another area of Kolkata’s slumbs, this one also had tiny shared houses, and the people worked in plastic recycling shops. We crossed a small bridge over a river of mirkey water. The river had piles of garbage on its sides and smelled like rotting filth. Slumbs are basically an area designated for a city’s extra people. When there‘s no more space or resources for them, thez get crammed into a shitty little hole and the rest of society lets them roll in their own filth. They have nothing to look forward to in life except having sex (which only increases the problem), and watching tv. Their garbage piles up and nobodz really cares since the people living on the outside of it dont have to deal with it, and the people living on the inside are used to it. I cant imagine living that way. For income, the people in this area worked at plastic recycling shops. Some of them cut plastic into fine strips, others sort different types, and many shops were even burning the plastic inside... “So toxic for the brain & lungs'', Ronney stated exactly what I was thinking. When I compared Isaya’s poverty and this, I thought I’d be way happier with Isaya’s lifestyle than this. For so many reasons, including self image. Ronney summed it up well when he said “Its a garbage life.''

Before I left Ronney, we had talked bout his financial situation. He’s a private teacher, but now thereäs verz little demand for him. I gave him $100 to start up a clothing business and then we said goodbye.

In the evening I took the subway to meet Sagar, the guy from day 1 whose family I wanted to visit for a night. Now I had arranged it finally. When we reached his house, his parents, older brother, sister in law, & niece greeted me as I ducked through the little door of the basement suite. There was a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom, not bad. Sagar’s familiy seemed very happy to see me. His mom served me potstickers with homemade sauce for dinner, which I ate sitting on a carpet. I learned that Sagars wage working at KFC is just $3 per day. I thought it would be more based on his appearance. Sagars brother has a dream to start a charitz organiyation for a school & hospital. When I went outside for a wiz, the landlord told sagar “no visitors overnight'', so soon afterwards I left. I was ok with that, Id seen what I wanted to see – the environment & mood of Sagars family. They were very nice people.

Sept 30 I did some chores and hassled with a computer today, then went to a volunteer meeting.

Oct 1 Mon: This morning I helped a woman, Hotejan, who is a beggar. She had no food for her kids and needed some medicine because she’s been having some sort of breathing issues, she said, but cant even afford a doctors visit. She shouldnt be liviing this way, and I dont know where shes faulted in her life, but she deserved better opportunities. Like my friends & family have. When I see the beggars on the street, and some of them are in pretty bad shape, I sometimes think, “That person is me, potentially. I could’ve been that person.

In the evening I volunteered.

Oct 2: I volunteered just till 11:00 today, and then took a taxi to the airport for the right cost this time. $5 for the full journey. I caught a flight to Chennai, India, for a 6 hour layover. In Chennai I walked around the streets for 3 hours to see what I would come across. Amazingly, nothing noteworthy happened. But my time in India was over and I celebrated it with about 12 mini cups of tea. I’ve had a great time.

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