So I've been in Kolkata one week today though it feels much longer. We've had a few particularly hot days but, save from the first two or three nights, it's actually been getting a little cool when I try to get to sleep. On the way from the airport to the BMS Guesthouse, where I am now staying, we got our first real taste of Indian driving. To be honest I think Indian drivers must be so much better than us in some ways, for example, they seem to have no particular rules, weaving in and out of each other, racing for gaps in between vehicles. However, they still manage to avoid each other to the nearest centimeter! They must be so intensely and permanently alert, unlike many English drivers.
Taxi
Our first meal was slightly awkward using a fork and spoon rather than a knife. This proved to be a real hindrance when it came to the little balls of chicken which were rather more bone than chicken. We tend, in our mealtimes, to now avoid the chicken unless we are quite sure it is absolutely boneless. As we'd been told, there is curry for every meal except breakfast, or rather, several different types of curry. most of them are actually pretty tasty :)
We've started doing bible studies in the evenings after dinner, using the book Storylines, given to us by BMS. It's great fun when it comes to reading out the bible stories, allocating parts and attempting all the ridiculously tongue-twisting names of places and people that seem unnecessary to point out, and yet still occur many times in every chapter. Aside from that I feel we are slowly gaining a greater understanding of the Big Book.
Been to a number of shops now and bought ready-made clothes, fabric 'packs' which are the materials for complimentary trousers, top and scarf which we then took to the tailors where we were measured up ad got out salwar kemeezes 3 days later. And just yesterday we went to the fabric shop where they had the most beautiful patterns and most stunning colours! We just wanted to buy them all. We did get invited round the counter which was awesome. We just picked out whichever fabrics caught our eyes and had them all spread across the counter in an array of colour.
I have gone outside within the grounds of the guesthouse most nights to see the fireflies and glowworms. We first encountered them on our first night when we had slept all through the day after the flight and could not sleep. We ventured outside and sat on the plastic chairs in the garden. Suddenly one of the others said 'Look at that!' and we looked and saw a little green light in the grass blinking on and off, moving among the grass. After that night I went out each night and eventually found a spot in the long grass by the shed where many lights were blinking all at once. The most wonderful part, however, was when some of the lights took off into the air around me. A bit like Avatar, just a hundred times less impressive. Beautiful nonetheless.
Two days ago we started work at the Good News Children Education Mission School and were picked up outside the gates of the guesthouse just after 8. We were met by a chorus of voices all calling 'Auntie! Uncle! Auntie!', which is what the street children are taught to call people, I guess, when they are begging. Some of the children ran down the steps and grabbed hold of our arms and hands and clothes, wherever they could get a grip, and pulled us up the steps of the bus, telling us where to sit and then jumping up on our laps.
The school is a small room raised a couple of steps in a little courtyard. On out first day there were about 50 children ranging probably from 2 to 10 years of age. The order of the day goes songs first, then a prayer, then we read a story. After that is break followed by the main lessons. The children are split into three groups: older, middle and younger. The older ones do maths, more complicated sums, while the middle group do easier maths and numbers Bengali into English, including the spellings. The younger group recites the English alphabet and the words that go with it, e.g. a for apple, and numbers up to 10. They all sit on the floor and have lunch together, curry would you believe, and playtime before and after the meal.
My section of the wall :)
Our good Salwar Kameezes
Beautiful fabrics
Really selling it!
I have gone outside within the grounds of the guesthouse most nights to see the fireflies and glowworms. We first encountered them on our first night when we had slept all through the day after the flight and could not sleep. We ventured outside and sat on the plastic chairs in the garden. Suddenly one of the others said 'Look at that!' and we looked and saw a little green light in the grass blinking on and off, moving among the grass. After that night I went out each night and eventually found a spot in the long grass by the shed where many lights were blinking all at once. The most wonderful part, however, was when some of the lights took off into the air around me. A bit like Avatar, just a hundred times less impressive. Beautiful nonetheless.
BMS Guesthouse (the old building)
Two days ago we started work at the Good News Children Education Mission School and were picked up outside the gates of the guesthouse just after 8. We were met by a chorus of voices all calling 'Auntie! Uncle! Auntie!', which is what the street children are taught to call people, I guess, when they are begging. Some of the children ran down the steps and grabbed hold of our arms and hands and clothes, wherever they could get a grip, and pulled us up the steps of the bus, telling us where to sit and then jumping up on our laps.
School room
The school is a small room raised a couple of steps in a little courtyard. On out first day there were about 50 children ranging probably from 2 to 10 years of age. The order of the day goes songs first, then a prayer, then we read a story. After that is break followed by the main lessons. The children are split into three groups: older, middle and younger. The older ones do maths, more complicated sums, while the middle group do easier maths and numbers Bengali into English, including the spellings. The younger group recites the English alphabet and the words that go with it, e.g. a for apple, and numbers up to 10. They all sit on the floor and have lunch together, curry would you believe, and playtime before and after the meal.
Lunch time
Queue for the slide
An Indian game
Curry!
The children are so beautiful, each with such a separate personality and all with big eyes and gorgeous smiles. When the bus dropped some of the children home it felt a little strange because they would get off onto the pavement and sit down because that was where many of them lived. At our stop they all waved goodbye, hand reaching through the windows, calling 'Bye Auntie! Bye Uncle!' On Tuesday we attempted to teach the younger children's lesson which consisted of much repetition and trying to make the pictures we made the night before understood. We had read the story of creation and so were teaching things like day and night, land and sea, people, plants and animals. All in all I don't think it went too badly :)
I am really looking forward to trying out all the other projects we will have a chance to help out with such as Freeset. I would like to try as many as possible until I can find one my heart sets on, where I expect I'll spend most of my time.
It's Diwali today so we are all looking forward to the sparklers and the lights and the general excitement of such a big festival!
Milk and biscuit break
First time teaching
Reciting the alphabet
Teach and repeat
Human climbing frame!
Gorgeous faces
Love all around
Making friends
I am really looking forward to trying out all the other projects we will have a chance to help out with such as Freeset. I would like to try as many as possible until I can find one my heart sets on, where I expect I'll spend most of my time.
It's Diwali today so we are all looking forward to the sparklers and the lights and the general excitement of such a big festival!
Diwali temples
Lights everywhere!
Sparklers!!!
Team Kolkata
All the team xxx
