So Laura and I might write similar things so I apologize in advance...but I must say, this trip has been a whirlwind of adventure from the second I left the house! 42 hours of traveling definitely takes a toll! We arrived in Kolkata around 8:30am so we decided it would be best to stay awake the rest of the day and try to get our sleep-cycle adjusted...we ended up lasting till 6:30pm and that was the end! It came back to bite me when I woke up at 3:00am but I'm getting closer! We started off the day with Mass at the MotherHouse at 6am. The amount of prayer time we will have during these 2 months will be not only amazing, but also essential to the work we will be doing. The poverty is such an intense part of life here that it can definitely be overwhelming without proper perspective.When we stepped off the plane, I have to admit I was pretty surprised at how tropical Kolkata is. There are tons of palm trees and it's pretty green outside the pollution of the city. By the grace of God, John was able to find us very easily and we took a prepaid taxi to our hotel, Hotel Galaxy. This bus trip by far topped any amusement park ride I've ever experienced. It was basically 30 minutes of Laura and I having a heart attack. Apparently car lanes are not necessary here because I don't think we drove in a straight line at any point in time. The driver was dodging other taxis, bikes, people, auto-rickshaws, dogs, you name it! Quite the introduction to where we will be living for the next 2 months. But, as I'm sure my family will be happy to hear, while there is so much going on, we feel quite safe walking through the streets as most people either ignore us or are nice. Not that my guard is down any less...I promise I won't close my eyes and walk down the street at night with money taped to my body.
We did orientation at the Shishu Bhavan yesterday which took about 2 hours. Some experienced volunteers told us about each of the homes we might have the opportunity to work in and then we were asked to choose one. Not everyone got the home they asked for but uh...Laura and I are kinda a big deal (AKA we're going to be staying the longest of everyone and got first choice) so we both are going to be working in Khaligat...the famous Home for the Dying. It sounds like they aren't too strict about moving around to work in different places, although they do discourage it for short-term volunteers as moving around is disruptive to the work the Missionaries are trying to do. But I am hoping to at least work in Shishu Bhavan, the disabled children's home, for a while.
Well, that's a brief rundown of what we've been experiencing in the 24-ish hours we've been here! Oh also...Blue Sky Cafe= lifesaver (adventurous Laura loves the peanut butter toast). Literally. After seeing the meat markets on the street, I'm surprised we haven't gotten sick just looking at them! Unsanitary is an understatement. Flies, pollution, heat , humidity...the list goes on. We are looking forward to starting volunteering tomorrow for the first time! The Missionaries of Charity are one of the most beautiful orders I've ever seen and such a breath of fresh air from the intensity of the streets. You cannot come here without being changed by the example of love these woman give. We are so blessed to have this opportunity!
Laura and I are going to try and bargain for some sandals now so until next time...God bless!
Allie (Allison ;)
We did orientation at the Shishu Bhavan yesterday which took about 2 hours. Some experienced volunteers told us about each of the homes we might have the opportunity to work in and then we were asked to choose one. Not everyone got the home they asked for but uh...Laura and I are kinda a big deal (AKA we're going to be staying the longest of everyone and got first choice) so we both are going to be working in Khaligat...the famous Home for the Dying. It sounds like they aren't too strict about moving around to work in different places, although they do discourage it for short-term volunteers as moving around is disruptive to the work the Missionaries are trying to do. But I am hoping to at least work in Shishu Bhavan, the disabled children's home, for a while.
Well, that's a brief rundown of what we've been experiencing in the 24-ish hours we've been here! Oh also...Blue Sky Cafe= lifesaver (adventurous Laura loves the peanut butter toast). Literally. After seeing the meat markets on the street, I'm surprised we haven't gotten sick just looking at them! Unsanitary is an understatement. Flies, pollution, heat , humidity...the list goes on. We are looking forward to starting volunteering tomorrow for the first time! The Missionaries of Charity are one of the most beautiful orders I've ever seen and such a breath of fresh air from the intensity of the streets. You cannot come here without being changed by the example of love these woman give. We are so blessed to have this opportunity!
Laura and I are going to try and bargain for some sandals now so until next time...God bless!
Allie (Allison ;)
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