Lazy days in a Kolkata haze

I've been in Kolkata for the last few days taking a welcome break from teaching. It's not really the teaching I want a break from, but the isolation and also the politics (which is a whole other blog entry!). I'll return to the school in January with a friend, but for now I get a Christmas holiday (as you all do in England) which is so nice and I really appreciate after a challenging two months.

I'm finally melting into Kolkata life. When I first arrived I wasn't quite at ease. I was used to quiet, beautiful surroundings - peace and calm. Suddenly it was cold, dark, busy and noisy. There was unforgiving traffic, constant horn beeping, people trying to talk to you on the street, rubbish everywhere. But Kolkata is a city with many different sides for many different people. You can do anything - mingle with the middle class shopping at the 'mall', go pray at a temple, watch cricket, eat delicious street food with the working men, meet other travelers in the backpacker cafes that serve an attempt at Western food, live it up in the lap of luxury at a 5 star hotel, barter for shawls and bangles at the busy market or sip chai from small clay cups.

In particular I love my room. It's high up above the backpacker street so I can watch the hubbub below through my open window without being seen. Several hours have passed as I just people watch. My room has it's own bathroom (although I have water only 25% of the time as they are digging in the street at the moment) and I also have a double bed with a mattress. It's a terrible mattress but compared to having none (like at the school) this is a serious upgrade so I am sleeping very well. My bed time has also dramatically changed, it's back to being midnight rather than 9pm!

The view from my window

My first day I was in such a daze arriving at 5am having had little sleep. I'd adventurously decided that I would not book anywhere and I would find a guesthouse on arrival. This actually went most smoothly. I immediately found a room for two pounds per night but it had no windows and no toilet and the walls were definitely going mouldy. But I just needed a base to recover after the rickety bus journey. Luckily I ended up moving from this slightly grim place in the evening as the guesthouse owner and one of his staff erupted into a huge fight that involved hair pulling and punching! It was all because of my camera charger which they thought was lost. They hadn't lost it......but they still fought so I decided it was definitely time to move on.

It was already dark and was a real struggle to hunt for another place to stay. Eventually I bumped into a really friendly couple from Greece who were leaving at 9pm so I said I could take their room. It was perfect. For about two hours we chilled out together and chatted in their/my/our shared room. At this point I had not talked to other people for months. So not only did I get a room, but I got some well needed company and the best hug from the girl when I explained I'd not had one for two months, it was amazing! Now I'll never forget this girl even if we never meet again.

My lovely room (this is luxury for me!)

Since my arrival I have been given some really stunning henna on my hands and feet by a lady that lives on the street outside my guesthouse. If I'm completely honest I think I only acknowledged her as I'd been so deprived of company that I was happy

to talk to anyone. She had three children, one a young baby that kept crawling towards us as she delicately tried to henna onto my skin. I enjoyed playing with her children who were cute and giggled lots but were quite grubby - but then what in Kolkata is not a bit grubby? With no water in my room, I'm also grubby! So after many more hours of sitting and chatting I ended up spending money on blankets for them as it's very cold at night here.

Have I been conned? A cynic would say probably, why would you trust someone on the street, they probably always do the same! I admit that twenty pounds is a huge amount for them, yet I spend that on a night out easily. So my thinking is that I haven't been conned as, no matter how I look at it, for me this money is not going to make any different to my life (maybe I travel for four days less), yet for them they still have no home and they still live on the streets so let them have some relief (or warmth or perhaps even fun if its is just all a scam). Plus it was interesting to see the street from a different perspective (now Ive seen from above and below).

Beautiful Indian Henna

Being back in civilization I haven't done any of the usual touristy things but instead I've just enjoyed city life - eating nice Indian food, using the internet and doing Christmas shopping. Spending money was very strange at first as I hadn't spent any money for so long. But most fun and interesting of all, I've taken the opportunity to talk to any people that cross my path. Spending time with the people of the city, all from different walks of life, has been intruiging. I've drunk chai with the beggar women in the street, the proud shopkeeper who gives me 'a good price', the educated business man, the vegetable and paneer roll man who wants to learn better English and of course the backpackers. It's been great.

So to all at home Merry Christmas in cold England. I can say with heaps of sarcasm that it is truly terrible having sun each day :-P

As the days go by

I've now been teaching at the school in India for two months however there are only three hours of lessons each day. With few distractions (like television and internet), limited freedom (as I can't leave the school site) and little company after school (the cook, the dog and her puppies) - you'd probably expect me to be so bored by now. But once I've completed my three months here, it will be hard to ever complain of being bored again, or at least when I am by myself, someone else may still bore me! This experience has made me more creative and resourceful and I've found many ways to amuse myself......

Bruni the dog with her puppies (one source of company!)

For one whole month I had a different hairstyle everyday. They'd get more ridiculous as the weeks went by as it doesn't matter to me what I look like here which is nice. Luckily there aren't too many photos of my masterpieces. I also optimistically took along some paints to try and capture some of my beautiful surroundings. I was quickly reminded of why I haven't painted for years – because I'm terrible! Luckily the paints have come in useful for coloring in simple drawings that I have created for my lessons to illustrate objects like 'flower' and 'sun'. I've now hung the pictures proudly in the classrooms with sellotape which will no doubt unstick in a few days. However, I actually have a daily routine which keeps me surprisingly busy. It's unbelievable how different it is to my life at home in every way:

Drawings I made for Alice & Wonderland.
Such a difficult story to explain to those who speak little English!

5.25am – 5.30am Wake up Blearily I put on my clothes in the dark.

5.30am – 6.15am Morning Exercise I walk, run and do some stretching around the field before anyone is awake as, being in a confined space, it's hard to keep fit . I can't believe I'm this active so early in the morning, I normally don't feel like it but once I'm finished I'm always glad I've done something. One of my exercises is actually inspired by a punishment that I saw being given to Class One children who hadn't done their homework. The children must hold their ears squat down and then stand up 20 times, this is very tiring, if you don't believe me try it.

6.15am – 6.30am Tea I make chai on the small gas stove for myself and Sanku the cook as he lights the fire. I never used to have any sugar in my tea but now I'm seriously addicted as it's my only vice and I look forward to my every cup.

The Vegetable Patch

6.30am – 7.00am Help with Breakfast I'm usually sent to the vegetable patch to go and pick coriander, chilli or green leaves. This is one of my favourite moments of each day as the sun has just risen so looks very picturesque and picking food to eat from your own back garden is immensely satisfying.

7.00am – 7.15am Breakfast Usually we eat beaten rice with small bits of one or two chopped vegetable (like potato and onion). I'm always very hungry and am now used to having rice for every meal, even breakfast.

Washing up at the pump

7.15am – 7.30am Wash Up I haven't yet mastered washing the plates, pans and cups without thoroughly soaking my feet and clothes. I do lots of pumping to get water from the ground throughout the day for showering, drinking and washing up, so much so, I've developed new areas of tough skin on my hands and my arms are now much stronger arms than before!

7.30am – 7.45am Get Ready

7.45am School Gates Open The sound of bicycle bells can be heard in the distance as children begin to flock in. Before assembly they clean the classrooms, play and relax. I look over my lesson plans and am greeted by students with 'Good Morning Meeees' (Miss said in their cute accents!)

Children play before school

8.15am – 8.30am Assembly The bell goes and everyone lines up in rows before the temple. Assembly is normally led by Kartik, a 14 year old boy who teaches Class Two. First the children say a prayer and then the national anthem is sung.

8.30am – 12.00pm School Time I teach Classes Three and Four Maths and English. At 10am it's break time so I can relieve my sugar addiction by having a chai and I sometimes play badminton or Karam Board (wikiiiiiiiiiiiiii) with Class Four students.

Class Three working hard

12.15pm – 12.45pm Shower After waving goodbye to the children, I mentally prepare to wash. I do so with a bucket of luke warm water heated by the sun at the pump. It can be quite refreshing when it's hot but as it is now Winter, and cooling down, it's becoming less of an attractive prospect. I wonder if I smell at all – I can't tell!

1.00pm Lunch A prayer is said and we proceed to eat, of course we do so without cutlery, instead using our right hand. This is fine with me as I am often told off at home for using my fingers, but here this is no problem.

Sanku serving up lunch

1.30pm Wash Up I still leave the really tough things like the huge pot for Sanku to do as it's very difficult. He has to scrub and scrub and scrub to leave the pot, heavily blackened from the fire, looking almost like new.

1.45pm – 2.30pm Lesson Planning I use the school's class textbooks as a guide for my lessons but I always like to add my own exercises and activities to check that the children have understood. I'm never short of ideas as there is always more to learn.

2.30pm – 4.00pm Own Time I often sit on the wall by the temple watching people work in the fields as I write my diary. I this regularly to get out my thoughts as I don't really have anyone to talk to about what I'm thinking. As it's so different here I need some way of processing everything. I also practice my Hindi words and characters ( not that I can pronounce them) but it keeps me busy. However now my mp3 player has broken music and my Hindi audio lessons are also off the agenda!

4.00pm – 7.00pm Cooking Sanku is very creative at making different dishes each day despite a limited choice of vegetables. Each evening we eat a different version of rice, daal and vegetables. However as each of these must be done on the fire, cooking takes forever. I mainly help with chopping, washing and fetching things but try to also keep an eye out for how everything is being cooked so I can replicate some of the recipes at home as some of the dishes are delicious. Having said, that there are other dishes that I am fed up with but I can't complain as I am always hungry. It gets dark around 5pm – 5.30pm.

A variety of rice dishes (banana fry, potato and mustard seeds, cauliflower and papaya and green leaves)

7.00pm Dinner It's amazing how quickly dinner is eaten in comparison with how long it takes to cook.

7.30pm – Wash Up Somewhat harder to do in the dark

7.45pm Go to room After dinner I have some more time to myself in which I usually read. It's so nice to do this as in England I never seem to get the time or it's just easier to watch TV.

9.15pm Bed I'm always out like a light, or as we have no electricity, I should say out like a torch. Going to bed at 9.15pm doesn't feel strange here. Although I do sometimes think about my friends on a Saturday morning at 6am (English time 1am) who are probably still awake which is always strange and amusing.

Repeat this routine six days per week for eight weeks and you have an idea of what my life has been like! Sunday is without a doubt the hardest day of the week which is ironic given that every minute of my weekend in England is treasured. But here the school is the life and soul of the place and it's not quite the same without the children and their enthusiasm. I enjoy my morning yoga and then have lots to do like cleaning my room and (attempting) to wash my clothes but there is nothing to break up the day. So this is when I miss home the most. But then there isn't much time to dwell as my routine starts all over again the next day....................

Such Confusion

When visiting India you are always warned to `expect the unexpected' so I took on this attitude and was raring to go. However I quickly remembered, as with my previous trip, that the problem with the unexpected is that, because it is just that, you can never prepare as you can never know what it will be. Last time I certainly never expected to end up travelling alone (and loving it) despite being in hospital along the way. This time I didn't expect to not love being alone and that I'd become ill within the first ten days of being here. The last month has definetely had its ups and downs with amazing, extraordinary moments and points where I have thought `what the hell am I doing here and why?' Luckily the latter was mainly induced by a somewhat delirious, ill state when I was stuck in a small room, on a hard bed with no distractions, 300km away from medical attention.

It's not easy to summarise my last month here at Dakshinayan school, but I will make an attempt as I have hardly spoken to anyone on the 'outside world' for a month. I am staying at a primary school in the state of Jharkhand between two villages called Roldih and Burikhura which I'm not able to find on Google Maps and I've had to gain special permission from the police to come here. The school is walled in on an acre of land and Monday to Saturday around seventy five children come from various surrounding villages for three hours of lessons. The school is here as an alternative to the government schools where corruption means that teachers rarely turn up and the quality of teaching is very poor. The school operates in Hindi (a recent transition from English) so that it is in line with other schools therefore unlike last time I am teaching only English.

I arrived at the school severely sleep deprived due to the stream of Bollywood music playing throughout the jittery night bus journey. I was also feeling slightly queasy due to the sugar overload from numerous chais I'd been handed over the course of the early hours. Suddenly it truely dawned on me that I really was in the middle of nowhere alone and discovered that the only other person permanently based here is Sanku, the cook and nursery class' teacher who speaks a little bit of basic English but not enough to have a proper conversation with. I went in knowing that I would arrive alone but had assumed that another volunteer would would come at some point or that the headteacher, the founder of the school, would be here but it turns out that he now has other training work that he does to help fund the running of the school. They have had fewer volunteers this year and are struggling more than usual. As a result there is a local co -ordinator however he too is in and out as he also has a family, a shop and is helping in the local elections. As a result I've spent large amounts of time with someone I barely understand.

Traffic problems on the way to the school

I tried to brush aside any concerns and get on with what I was here for, the teaching and the children. I was thrown in at the deep end with lessons as I had to teach before a proper timetable had been made with me included. On the morning of school I was told what classes I'd have which made it extremely difficult as I wasn't able to prepare. I struggled even with just taking the register as I pronounced everyones Indian names wrong causing great amusement and I then failed to realise that I had ticked the names off on completely the wrong page! But I did what I could and luckily now I have been written into the timetable and can plan my lessons around the textbooks adding in my own exercises and using a bit of artistic liscence.

After a week I began to settle a bit more but still found it incredibly difficult that I couldn't understand what anyone was saying most of the time, despite my attempts to learn some Hindi words. I thought that the visit of the Headteacher for a week would help as his English is brilliant but he informed me that he would not speak to me much as he wanted me to get used to being alone. Now thats tough love for you and not at all what I wanted to hear. So it was at times frustrating when everyone around me chatted in Hindi and I sat there, ocassionally hearing a word I recognised like 'salt' or 'chilli'.

My room (which I couldn't leave when I was sick)

That's when I unfortunately fell ill and caught some sort of flu. You know you're not well when it's 30 degrees outside and you are shivering like mad because you're cold. It turns out that I had a temperature of thirty nine degrees, although here I am told that is nothing! So many thoughts rushed through my head about what would happen, would I have to leave, how alone I was, how far from medical help I was. Minutes dragged and felt like hours as I had no distractions lying in my room recovering for three days only leaving to go to the toilet and to eat. It was not a pleasant ordeal. Luckily I soon recovered and it made everything else seem so much less bad in comparison - I'm so glad that I'm okay again.

Although everyday brings new, unexpected challenges I now have a daily routine and I really enjoy my teaching a great deal. I have my good and bad days as does every teacher as I want my lessons to be as useful as possible but there is sometimes a language barrier that makes it harder than usual to explain things! However I am pleased as I am teaching Class 3 who I taught the last time I was here and I am very proud as their English is excellent. They are very lively and enthusiastic and although I shouldn't have favourites I do and they are it. The children here are very well behaved but the teachers (three 14 year olds who used to go here and the co-ordinator when he is here) are rather strict. So I've been a little more strict than I otherwise might be. I find myself wanting to laugh lots, so quickly turning to face the board to write something.

Radha, teacher of Class One

There was one day when a child mispronounced a word and somehow we all ended up in hysterics. I couldn't control myself so of course that opened the flood gates for the rest of the class to laugh too. Sometimes I also find great amusement in the kids mispronounciation of English words when they are reading. In particular many children with their Indian accents reading about 'sheeeets' and pieeeces' of paper was hilarious and it was hard not to giggle. Although in a similar vain I caused waves of giggles everytime I tried to say the Hindi for green which I eventually found out also sounds like shit. 'Green miss, how do you say green?!'

There are also many things that are very strange and peculiar to me. For instance one time buckets of cow dung appeared outside which I assumed must be for the project's vegetable patch where they grow chillies, carrots, potatoes and cauliflower. An ongoing joke for a few days between myself and Sanku consisted of us both pointing at a bucket and saying 'you face wash, yes?' and laughing. But then I couldn't believe my eyes when the school girls took the dung, added some water, and put their hands straight in and started throwing it all over the classroom floor. Apparently it's a brilliant antiseptic, gives a nice finish and it repels flies so is what all houses around here use.

The girls cleaning the classroom in the traditional Indian way

For those of you worried about me losing weight again, fear not I eat mounds of rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner although not having seen myself properly in a mirror for weeks I cannot be sure. At first I was so sick of rice and had to often force it down which was made even more difficult as I had to use my hands. But now I quite like my rice, daal and vegetables which are slightly different each day. I enjoy it even more knowing that when the experience is over I can go back to eating whatever I like which will be just heaven. My saving grace has been the jar of mango chutney which can always be trusted to bring some extra flavour to the meal. With a number of festivals happening the school is recieving various offerings in the form of very sugary rice based snacks that also help with the calories. I especially admire the way that nothing here is wasted as we occasionally eat even the leaves of potatoe and carrot plants which taste a bit like spinach.

Funnily no matter what I do, I cannot seem to get my feet clean here. Everytime I attempt within two minutes they are covered again in dirt. I try not to let the small mouse droppings on the kitchen shelves and ants in the sugar container disturb me too much, it's best not to think about it! Everytime I wash an item of clothing I wonder whether it's slightly dirtier that it was before I washed it. But at least I 'shower' every day with my bucket of luke warm water.

I admit that I do still sometimes get annoyed by my lack of understanding but am working on letting it not get to me. At the time some things are so confusing and frustrating but looking back are so hilarious. When I first arrived Sanku kept saying either 'shower?' or 'chawall' (hindi for rice) so I didn't know whether I should go off to shower or follow him to go and make rice in the kitchen. Also one time I was promised help at four o'clock from the co-ordinator and I waited and waited confused at why he wasn't there and annoyed he hadn't made the effort when I was awoken the next day at 4am with a call of 'Reneeeeeee, are you ready?' Looking back funny, but at the time a bit maddening.

Sunrise

I can't lie, I miss my family, friends, nice food, a normal conversation, space to roam freely and hugs especially but there is still nowhere I'd rather be at the moment. On balance, I get to watch the sun rise and set everyday, it's sunny, I get time out from busy life, I get to see and do things I otherwise never would plus best of all I get to teach the most enthusiastic children I have ever seen who keep me going (for Kate also I am not a work and its not raining!). I also know that I'll appreciate all the things I have mentioned I miss so much more when I have them again. I look forward to seeing what on earth (good or bad) happens next. As my sister pointed out, the things that go wrong or not as planned often end up being the best stories so I'm sure I will have many a tale to tell.

In search of an STD

One of the first missions I had when arriving in Kolkata, India was to find an STD, commonly know in England as a sexually transmitted disease. Luckily, this is not what I was in search for, in India an STD is a telephone which I needed to contact my parents and the school where I will be staying. Just one of the funny little 'Indianisms' that has made me chuckle over the past few days.

When I say one of the first 'missions', I really was being serious. When you are backpacking around India, the simplest of tasks becomes an intriguing challenge and you can either go with it and accept its going to be complicated, bureaucratic and unnecessarily time consuming or you can really get angry, frustrated and worn out. Being a newcomer I am obviously aiming for the former, but it is incredibly difficult to not let the latter prevail when you are hot, bothered and alone in a completely different place.

Yes in many ways Kolkata is noisy, disgustingly dirty, hot and there are so many people everywhere. However, in contrast to Delhi, the people are incredibly friendly, you are not hounded everywhere you go, there is colour, life and vibrance among the dirt and it is cheap and cheerful. You can get some of the most delicious Indian food here. For instance I had a delicious breakfast yesterday for just 30 Rupees (less than 50p). Ironically it is South Indian style (Poori Sagu), however its is so y

ummy - being able to eat spice for breakfast is one thing I mastered last time (though ask me in a few months and I'll be craving fry ups, cereal and croissants!). Burping out loud after eating also seems to be acceptable so I am sure some of my male friends would like it here.

Not that I have been greatly hungry today, I am leaving to catch the night bus to get to the school (Dakshinayan) where I am volunteering but for some reason I am quite nervous. Perhaps its the fact I am the only volunteer at the school in this rural area (in the district of Jharkhand) leaving literally all of my home comforts behind! This includes electricity, choice of food, the internet, a comfy bed - maybe I am really 'pagel' (crazy in Hindi). Well it is probably slightly true in many ways however I am sure it will all work out and I will be back to singing the schools praises like I did the last time I went. The kids there last time were brilliant and it will be so nice to get some peace within the beautiful surroundings.

Looking back, its been an emotionally charged few days, but there have been some funny times that could only happen in India! On my first day, I had only had about 4 hours of sleep and I arrived at 8am, so I needed to try and stay awake to adapt to the time difference. The Sunflower Guesthouse where I was staying, is quite nice, basic but clean. The first thing to make me laugh was the absurd number of switches that there always seem to be on the walls of the places where you stay. I have tried them all out, yet only three out of about ten, actually seem to do anything. Yet there is still one light in my room, which appears to be off, until it gives a brief flash, about every 10 seconds, which I have failed to work out how to turn off!

I was lucky enough to meet a girl as soon as I arrived who had lived in Delhi working for the French embassay for 6 months. However she turned out to be mycomplete opposite who I ended up hanging around with just until I was a bit more confident. She was nice enough to me, but it turned out she really didn't like backpackers, told anyone that got in her way to 'fuck off' and was really snobby and looked down on a lot of people (e.g 'South Indians are ugly' or 'I hate the way Indian women dress - they have no style!').

Why is she here you ask? I think to schmooze with India's high and mighty upper class. Seriously, if you get in the right circles here then you can be wined and dined for absolutely nothing. Yesterday we went for Chinese (strange I know but I wanted a nice meal before I start eating rice, daal and vegetables three times per day). We were seated next to an Indian man who we got chatting to - he was a software engineer (probably a millionaire) who offered to pay for our meal, with the girl having just said she work

ed for Cartier (no of course she doesn't!). But apparently it is rude to refuse, well fair enough pay for my meal then, I can't complain, but I still think its ridiculous how I can get away with so much just by coming from a Western background. So if you get in the right circles you could probably live very comfortably for free.

Anyway, this girl is very good at knowing her way round which was useful as we literally have walked all over the city which has been really interesting. I have been doing some shopping and visited one of India's famous stores called Fab India, to get some Indian style clothes. I want to blend in whilst I am here and I think that is the best way. Buying the clothes was another exhausting task - not only did it take about an hour of walking around in the mid day heat to find as everyone kept telling us different directions, I felt completely overwhelmed by styles, colours and different patterns of clothing which I had to try and mix and match. I brought a few things but have no idea of how it looks as I don't have an eye for Indian style. For all I know, I may look completely ridiculous! But to be fair, most travellers look ridiculous as you end up wearing things you could not get away with in your own country.

Trying to get a mobile was also difficult but I have managed it (my parents will be so happy!). Whether it works in rural India I have yet to see, fingers crossed. For some reason you have to wait half an hour and then they need to see your passport, visa and proof of address. Then you must provide a photo of yourself, to give the number of where you are staying (they ring it to verify you are there) and of course, you must say who your father/husband is. Although I have to say that Kolkata does seem to be a very forward thinking city, I have even seen Indian girls wearing skirts and shorts. Back to the phone, the 'Make Fake Calls' feature is a bonus I had not expected. According to the manual this can be used 'to stimulate an incoming call when you want to get out of a meeting or unwanted conversation'. I have a feeling I will be making use of that feature.

I had a lovely meal at Mitali's house who is one of the teachers who sometimes works at the school and it was good to meet Siddarth again who is the headteacher and organiser of the project. It was nice to learn more about how the project started and who works there, I am going to go in comletely open minded and willing to learn. I felt very privelleged to get an insight as to what it is like to be in an Indian's home, although I was hoping all the time I wasn't going to make any cultural faux pas that I wasn't aware of. Think I did okay!

I should go now as it has become a bit of a long one. I bid you farewell, Namaste! P.s for some reason my camera is on panoramic (which I will try to change)