April 30, 2012 - Kolkata

Nikki and Michelle

Nicki and Sarah with the Rainbow Kids

The morning was spent at Loreto Day, Sealdah. First we were introduced by the Principal, Sister Igora at the assembly and prayer service. Students were participatory and enthusiastic in their singing and praying. They shaped a cross of marigolds for the prayer focus on the stage.

We walked up to the roof to work with the Rainbow kids in small groups, helping them with English, Math, and knitting. They gave us more background on how Loreto schools work here. The Rainbow Kids, Barefoot Teachers and outreach to those otherwise neglected is phenomenal. The cost of support of these programs is minimal…something to look into. We participated in a Values Education class. They were focussed on peace. There were about fifty girls who had a challenging task: create a meal with healthy food (no additives , in the three colours of peace. (white, yellow, and green) and under ten rupees a person.

After lunch, we went back for a rest and then left for Mother Teresa’s house. Her grave is there. It is a place of great holiness and prayer. Her room is preserved the way she left it when she died. She stayed in a simple unventilated room above the kitchens, even in the stifling Kolkata heat.

We had our first coffee in India at a Lavazza bar on Park St. in celebration of Jan’s birthday. We ate dinner at a restaurant called the Mocomba.

Kolkata is incredibly chaotic. There’s an incredible amount of traffic. Rickshaws, streetcars, buses, taxis, autos, cars, and bikes crowd the streets. Traffic laws are either not in place or not obeyed. Drivers communicate solely by honking.  The city is covered in dirt and the air is full of fumes.  The sidewalks are full of people with nowhere else to live. Yet It is also a place of great beauty if you can shift your vision. It is a place where people show their adaptability and creativity to cling to and embrace life.