Okay..third time is the charm… I have been trying to write a little blurb about the trip from Kolkata to Bhubenswar and it has been difficult to get onto the site…in fact when I did get through and had almost finished a power outage erased the whole thing.
Some may be angry. However in my new state of enlightenment, this is not as big a deal to me anymore. Now, getting caught in an elevator when there is a power outage is a much bigger deal. In fact being caught between floors, plus 32 degrees, by yourself in the dark, and having a little Indian man yelling to me in Hindi..which I believe he was asking are you in there miss? And me yelling back..YES! Can you get me out!! This is a much bigger deal than losing an e-mail I suppose. Needless to say, I am now trying to save all writing and I am currently taking the stairs versus the elevator.
I did make it out of Kolkata though, and while checking out I had an entourage of men waiting for a bakeesh. I was still a little cranky after sleeping with all of the lights on to ward off lizards, and after I had two more knocks to deliver sheets that I didn’t need in exchange for bakeesh, and the general garbage and urine odour of the city. So needles to say, Kit and I were not in a very giving mood. We ended up waiting for the two lovely little women that arrived to take us to the West Bengal State Teacher’s Office (Sari wearing, cell phone bearing women leader representatives. The cell phones had ear attachments that clipped into the folds of their sari: technology meets traditional dress) and ignoring the line up “helpers”
The custom is to be greeted by 20-30 people and one will wrap you in hand-made wreathes, necklaces, bouquets of fresh marigolds, roses, jasmine etc. (to which you are ever watchful for stray biting bugs) and then you are welcomed in to sit and rest and have tea and a snack for a about 10 minutes. Once you have rested they will continue on to the next part of your commitment. In our case it was to speak to the women of Kolkata at their women’s conference.
We had traveled through dirty garbage strewn streets with the ever beeping and merging dust and taxis, rickshaws, bicycles and lorrys. We had walked down cow manured and urine stained streets and we climbed those stairs that were slightly warped and were greeted by 80 women in brilliantly adorned saris seated crossed legged on the floor. It took your breathe away. Different colors, all ages and stunning in every way, it was very, very powerful. That is India in the only way that can be described: love and hate, power and poverty, and pure beauty amongst dirt and despair…unbelievable India.
We flew out of Kolkata and were greeted in Bhubeneswar by 20 people and were adorned with flower necklaces that were a welcomed sweet smell. We were interviewed by a gorgeous Indian woman and Camera man ( They were stunning whereas we were a little disheveled and smelly at this point) But we once again dust covered and all were celebs in the paper and on TV.
We are now in a nice Hotel (Hotel Sishmo) with a real shower and AC… as mentioned above the power goes out quite frequently and there is a little bit of a hike up the stairs after the elevator incident but it is comfortable. The workshop is busy and the participants are very appreciative. It is humbling when they call me Tanis G (a term of respect).
When they are honouring someone they will kiss their hand and then touch their hand to your feet. There are many that will raise their pressed palms to their forehead in welcoming and thank-you. The Engligh is better than it was in Mizoram but it is still challenging because they all speak different dialects.
NallaSivan is from Tamil Nadu and he has been explaining the two language groups of Aryan and Sanskrit and why Tamil language is so different than Hindi. He will be leaving us at the end of this week. I will be very sad to see him go.
He has invited me to his home to meet his wife and daughter Vidia. I think I will make my way there after Delhi. I have started practicing already…no meat just veg dishes, which are very tasty. Most of the people in India are vegetarians and you will always be asked if you want Veg or Non Veg. Sivan is quite humorous about it. A tea was given to Kit ,and a fly dove down into it…he shook his head and said “Non-veg tea”. I personally prefer non-veg tea!
Kit and I have risked a few limbs to find this internet spot. The caste system is alive and well on India streets and unfortunately pedestrians are on the lowest rung, in fact even the cows and goats have higher status. Every type of transportation exists on the busy streets of this city and it is nightmare to cross. Merge and move in between motorbikes, rickshaw bikes , regular bikes, cars and trucks and hordes other people. It is an adventure every single day.
I am finishing here to go out and brave the streets, it is sometimes more tiring than the actual teaching. There are open markets and loud beeping and a variety of smells..both good and bad. However there are blues skies, clearer air, and it plus 30-34. Life is good, if not a little warm at times. Especially mid-day workshop time! But there is always tea to cool me down :)
hope all is well at home,
t
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3 comments:
Hey Tan,
When street sales were getting too overwhelming for me, I bought an Indian 'remote control protector'... a hideous, springy platic thing (that clearly never caught on here!). So, whever I was approached, It tried selling it back to them. They left me alone.
I think they thought i was crazy...
Hey tan, I could not go there, imagine me and the food, the people, i think that mean little dog side of me would come out!!haha You are much more brave. All is good here, stay safe, XO
Hey Tanis!
Only about 50 degrees difference in your weather and ours! Could use a little of that 30 stuff here.
I definitely could not do what you are doing!
All is the same old same here. See you soon.
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