Wednesday, the day after Diwali, I obviously slept in quite late. I finally became productive though and made my way to New Light, the organization our WWU Amnesty raised the money for last year. This time I was going to do research for Amistad, the California based NGO that also funds New Light’s projects. They wanted me to go take pictures 
and find out how their adult literacy program was going. So I met up with Maitrayee there and we did a 30 minute interview (with her translating help). Afterwards, one of the New Light workers took me around Kalighat (a district of Kolkata, famous for its Kali Temple (Kali is a Hindu god)). I just happened to be there in Kalighat the day after Diwali, during the Kali Puja. How exciting was that. There were statues of Kali set up EVERYWHERE, and let me tell you, she is scary looking. (See picture) Apparently she is the goddess of power and destruction and darkness, which I find odd to worship, so I asked my tour guide about it. He said it’s not so much that they’re worshiping her but more like paying respects to be protected from her, which is still a bit odd to me but makes a little more sense I guess. So we saw all those shrines and all the people giving money to her and playing drums and music, and we also saw the cremation place. This is quite bizarre for a western mindset, but there in India, cremation is not nearly as private as it is in the west. The family all goes there to watch the entire ceremony, as can anyone else. Needless to say, I have no pictures to share on that activity.
and find out how their adult literacy program was going. So I met up with Maitrayee there and we did a 30 minute interview (with her translating help). Afterwards, one of the New Light workers took me around Kalighat (a district of Kolkata, famous for its Kali Temple (Kali is a Hindu god)). I just happened to be there in Kalighat the day after Diwali, during the Kali Puja. How exciting was that. There were statues of Kali set up EVERYWHERE, and let me tell you, she is scary looking. (See picture) Apparently she is the goddess of power and destruction and darkness, which I find odd to worship, so I asked my tour guide about it. He said it’s not so much that they’re worshiping her but more like paying respects to be protected from her, which is still a bit odd to me but makes a little more sense I guess. So we saw all those shrines and all the people giving money to her and playing drums and music, and we also saw the cremation place. This is quite bizarre for a western mindset, but there in India, cremation is not nearly as private as it is in the west. The family all goes there to watch the entire ceremony, as can anyone else. Needless to say, I have no pictures to share on that activity.
Thursday was sadly my last day in Kolkata. Nothing terribly exciting to note; I went over to Anju’s again, got another massage, ate more wonderful food, watch a hilarious Bollywood movie with the boys, oh and we went to McDonalds and ate with their cousins! Two days after Diwali is a day called Brothers and Sisters (I forgot the name in Hindi), which is what they call their cousins as well as their real brothers and sisters. So they all get together and eat and have a good time. It was so nice of them to include me in their family time.
That night I got on the train to head to Varanasi for the first time. I was glad I had a top bunk; I just crawled up there and tried to sleep most of the night. I train was about two hours late getting into Varanasi, pretty typical for Indian trains, so I ended up spending about 15 hours on that thing. After getting off finally, I was met at the station by Rajan and her husband Sukdev. Let me back up a bit first and explain my purpose in going to Varanasi.
Amistad also funds other projects elsewhere in the world besides New Light, and one of them is in Varanasi India, called Buddha Smile School, BSS. This school is for underprivileged children, which means children who live in stick huts along the side of the road and as young as four or five years old go around the city collecting garbage. This garbage is used by construction companies as filler I think, and the children get paid 1 rupee for every 5 kg of garbage they collect. ($1= 48 rupees) Also attending the school are some children of lepers. I don’t quite understand how it’s transmitted, because I thought it was fairly contagious, but there are quite a few kids whose parents have leprosy and they don’t.
Recently, with Amistad’s help, BSS was able to construct three new classrooms and repaint the stair railings and install a water tank, so my job was to go capture all these new developments (and some pictures of the kids in school) on my camera.
Rajan and Sukdev picked me up at the train station and very graciously offered to let me stay with them in their home during my time there. This was quite nice and convenient- not only did I not have to pay for lodging, or transportation to and from the school each day, but I also didn’t have to pay for food since her husband runs a small café right next door to the school (which is right below their home) and he would always cook for me. They have two beautiful daughters, Rosy (about 9 I think, who was darling but spoke very little English, so we found it difficult to communicate), and Daisy (11 who spoke wonderful English and who quickly befriended me). Friday I was pretty beat from my train travel, so I took a nap that day and didn’t do much else.
That night I got on the train to head to Varanasi for the first time. I was glad I had a top bunk; I just crawled up there and tried to sleep most of the night. I train was about two hours late getting into Varanasi, pretty typical for Indian trains, so I ended up spending about 15 hours on that thing. After getting off finally, I was met at the station by Rajan and her husband Sukdev. Let me back up a bit first and explain my purpose in going to Varanasi.
Amistad also funds other projects elsewhere in the world besides New Light, and one of them is in Varanasi India, called Buddha Smile School, BSS. This school is for underprivileged children, which means children who live in stick huts along the side of the road and as young as four or five years old go around the city collecting garbage. This garbage is used by construction companies as filler I think, and the children get paid 1 rupee for every 5 kg of garbage they collect. ($1= 48 rupees) Also attending the school are some children of lepers. I don’t quite understand how it’s transmitted, because I thought it was fairly contagious, but there are quite a few kids whose parents have leprosy and they don’t.
Recently, with Amistad’s help, BSS was able to construct three new classrooms and repaint the stair railings and install a water tank, so my job was to go capture all these new developments (and some pictures of the kids in school) on my camera.
Rajan and Sukdev picked me up at the train station and very graciously offered to let me stay with them in their home during my time there. This was quite nice and convenient- not only did I not have to pay for lodging, or transportation to and from the school each day, but I also didn’t have to pay for food since her husband runs a small café right next door to the school (which is right below their home) and he would always cook for me. They have two beautiful daughters, Rosy (about 9 I think, who was darling but spoke very little English, so we found it difficult to communicate), and Daisy (11 who spoke wonderful English and who quickly befriended me). Friday I was pretty beat from my train travel, so I took a nap that day and didn’t do much else.
1 comment:
Wow, they've sure spruced up that place! NICE new classroom and staircase. WOW!!!!
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