India #3/#4 03./04.07.19
I'm writing this on the fourth because we came home at 3 o'clock in the morning. But first things first. On Wednesday I got up at 5.30am because there is holy mass in the motherhouse at 6 am and afterwards breakfast at 7 am. After the mass, it was amazing, there are some seminarians ( like soon to-be-priests)from the Lebanon ( Maronit Christians) and they sung during communion (epic!!?), we had breakfast. Two roommates Benoît, french, and Victor, sweden, joined. After the breakfast, Wich consisted of bakerolls, jam, bananas hard-boiled eggs and sweetened tea ( like really sweet), a sister came in and ordered us to be silent. Together we prayed for us and for the coming day and then we were split. The missionaries of charity have several buildings across Kolkata, where they help the needy ones and care for them.
I think I can't recall every single one but I'll try. There is:
Shanti Dan ( I think it was for newborns)
Daya Dan ( home for disabled kids)
Prem Dan (like "longcare" for eldest)
Khaligad (for the dying)
Additionally there is the dispensary every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It's a bit like a pharmacy and ambulance, where they make wound dressing and bandaging. I got a day pass for Daya Dan in the morning. I should go to the dispensary at 3 pm to be registered.
So the different groups went and got to their places. I was with the group of maronit seminarians, 3 Spanish guys, two Italian girls and a Spanish girl, and a father with his 15 year old son ( I was impressed, because 15 is pretty young imo for such a great service, but its probably a very educational experience). We got on the bus and then split into groups of four, to get on the Tuktuks. We paid 8 rupees for each ride, what is like 10 cents and walked further.
At Daya Dan we slipped out of our shoes and began to work almost immediately, by desinfecting the beds and relining them with new sheets. The girls went upstairs for the girls rooms and the boys stayed in the ground floor with the girls.
We played with the kids and danced for them, in order to animate them. Most of them are sitting in selfbuilt wheelchairs, a bought one is to expensive, some can walk. The seminarians danced like crazy and there was so much joy in these rooms, even the Makarena was danced. At 10 o'clock we had the break with some plain biscuit and some sweetened blacktea. Then we went back to work. The kids get educated, each one according to his abilities.
At 11 o'clock we feed the children. Every kid gets his meal prepared in a way so he can eat it. From whole grain to puree. I never thought, that it would take that much time, feeding someone a normal batch of food. At twelve o'clock we left. Lunch break. We got back to the motherhouse. I walked to the grocery store and bought some toast and mango and mango juice. For lunch I had toast with mango. Sounds weird, but its actually a nice, light meal, especially on hot days. During the lunch break I also wanted to withdraw some money, but I was struggling and several times it didn't work. I was worried so I asked my sister and brother to call my dad, wether he knew what to do. As it was 2:45 I walked to the registration. Benoît kindly showed me the way. At the dispensary I meet some Austrian guys. They told me, they had been traveling 26 hours from Wien to Paris to Mumbat to Kolkata. Wow! .
John, a seminarian with the congregation of the holy Cross in the US explained how the whole volunteering thing works. After an hour I got my pass. I assigned to Khaligad. I also said I'd be up for the dispensary, because John said to me, that with the experience of a paramedic this would be suitable. But the sister in charge said, that they like to apply long term volunteers ( like 3-4 or more month). With a smirk on her face she said, that I just had to stay longer next time.
Earlier that day, in the grocery store I met Gama ( spoken like Jam with an extra A) and Rosa. They invited me for a little party, for it was the last day for Francie, a girls from the Philippines. I said I don't know her but they said that was no problem. We wanted to meet after adoration at 7 pm. Till then I had some spare time. Luckily my great sister <3 talked to the money institute my credit card is running with and she found out, that I had to at least withdraw 50 dollars in Rupees that like 3,500 Rupees. What a relief!!! I finally had money again.
At 7 pm there where several people who went with us: Francie ( Philippines), Gama (IRL), Rosa and Servatius ( born in the Netherlands but living in IRL), Brody and Mike (US), Marosh (Canada) , Benoît and me. We want to Oassis at Park Street. I had a delicious Chicken Brijani with rice, salad and raita. It basically rice mixed with some chicken and the raita is a kind of spice sauce you can either dip the chicken in or just pour it over the rice.
We talked about politics, I wanted to know, what the American fellows thought about Trump and with Brody I talked about the Theology of the body by John Paul the second, because he is writing his thesis for being a priest about an aspect of the Theology of the body.
Thursday are days of for the volunteers so we figured we use the time and went to Roxy's, Disco, also at Park Street. I got to tell you, the indian nightclubs are a bit different. It's all like in Germany with the interiors but the musci was like from six to ten years ago. They even had a "band" of beatboxers as a special act. Pretty funky!we walked back home afterwards and were home at 3 am.
___
___
Today I woke at half past ten am. I got up and ate a peanut butter toast for breakfast.
Servatius, Gama, Rosa, Victor and Benoît and I walked to the Victoria Memorial. The memorial was quite nice and also the surrounding park. Inside the memorial the were showing some pieces of weaponry and art, mostly about colonialization of India by the British.
Today is the fourth of July ->Independence day
Brody, Mike and John invited for a celebration and prepared some noodle salads and chicken wings. That was cool. We enjoyed some community and chatted about this and that.
The Spanish priest who is staying at the BMS had a mass with us before in the garden of the BMS, it's pretty nice having a holy mass under the blue sky.
Once again it's late. 11 o'clock and I'm going to lay down now.
God bless America ( had to write that John talked me into it ^^)
And of course you all.
Have a good one.
Sincerely Yours
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen