Slice of Heaven

Namaste everyone,

We have been in Calcutta for a week now. It has been a crazy experience for everyone, there is so much to see and do in this city, we have been pushed out of our comfort zones and we are often fighting an invisible wall of physical and mental fatigue. The journey begins at 5 am every morning as the Muslim call to prayer is used as our alarm clocks; we walk 20 minutes through the Muslim quarters to the mother house where we have a mass, then a breakfast of chai tea, bananas and bread. This is slightly less than we are used to in New Zealand but still manages to sustain us for the 3 hours till chai break at the mother houses. There are mixed feelings for the humble chai tea, its super sweet like condensed milk and is always served piping hot.

Now everyone breaks into groups of five or six and we make our way to our centers. The age and ability both mental and physical of the patients differ immensely. All the homes have there unique experiences but they all share the same vision. Its inspiring to see the joy we can bring to the patients with the most simple of actions. Mostly we help with chores, and in the afternoons we play games with the kids. Recently everyone has started to get into the Christmas spirit, some decorations have been hung in the rooms, secret Santa presents brought.

Today was our first rest day, after a wee sleep in till 6.30; we headed down to the mother house and met with Joan who was to be our guide for the day and our journey to the leprosy clinic. Joan is a gem in Calcutta, Joan has been helping with the downtrodden of Indian society for over 15 years. Her knowledge of customs and experiences were invaluable for us taking a real Indian train journey to the clinic safely and even where to find the cheapest saris in New Market.

The Leprosy colony, Titagarh can only be descried as beautiful. When the brothers took it over in 1974 it was described as hell, but now it is described as heaven. It has about 500 residents and is run by nine brothers. They are almost entirely self sufficient. We were taken on a tour through the gardens down a well kept path; here they grow a host of fruit and vegetables. There is also a fish farm and livestock, which are the happiest and healthiest animals we have seen in India so far! The people who have been cured are encouraged to work and reunite with their families to help them to make the most of their lives. We were very lucky to have this opportunity; many people do not get to see inside this haven.

The afternoons are spent exploring the city, last night many of us went to see Mission Impossible in the movie theater, they still have a half time break over here, tickets are a measly 60 rupees ($1.50 NZD) and for that you get reclining seats!

After that we had dinner at our favorite restaurant, Blue Skies. This restaurant quickly became a favorite for its cheap, yummy meals and fabulous service. We have spent many of our rupees here and will likely spend many more over the next week!

Looking now into the crystal ball, the future looks is bright with Christmas just on the horizon and assurance that Father Christmas will be in Calcutta around 5 p.m. on Christmas evening. Looking now even further ahead we see we only have 1 week left in Calcutta before our marathon train journey to Mumbai and then Goa.

To all at home, we hope all is well and that everyone is in the Christmas spirit,
Much love from Calcutta,

Craig and Johannah