Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
A New Perspective
Upon a second arrival in Kolkata, I have gained a new perspective. Yes what I said in the previous entry regarding this topic still holds true. Yet I'm am beginning to see beauty where there once was not too much to speak of.
In the morning, I have started going for walks along random streets and alleyways to take pictures and to see what happens. I have stumbled upon some very interesting communities.
I walked along this street where the road was breaking, kids were playing everywhere, and fathers were working in their "house" with other young men. The men were making the soles of women's shoes, welding metal bed frames, and carving wood. These houses aren't really houses in the typical sense. Rather they are one or two story buildings each person's house is actual just a room or two. As soon as an inhabitant opens the door he or she is looking onto the street. There's no porch, just the street. Also, as you can probably already guess privacy doesn't really exist much in India.
Some of the kids were passing a small, rubber soccer ball and I decided to join. I kicked it a few times when a group of guys my age came up to me and said, "Ahh, you play football? Where are you from?" They invited me into there soccer club house and demanded that I sit down. In this room was the entire soccer team and they were just relaxing and watching Bollywood music videos on TV. They were enamored to see a white, westerner in their neighborhood and especially one who know how to kick a soccer ball. So, in this room we juggled the ball and everyone clapped as players and I took turns. They offered me tea and food, which I declined as sanitation is not always at the top of the list amongst many people. It was great fun and completely spontaneous.
So, in this way I have gotten to see some of the common folk and have enjoyed there company very much. They are very compassionate, community oriented, and are generally not very affluent...which interestingly has yet to affect their overall happiness from as far as I can tell.
On another and similar note, I have also been afforded the opportunity to spend some time with the elite of Kolkata, from which I have learned a little about history, politics, and business.
This is what I have been told about Kolkata. Before the 1970's, Kolkata was one of the leaders of business in all of India. The Communist Party took over and despised business as well as the business leaders. This stifled commerce and as you can probably guess per capita income decreased. Thus, Kolkata lost it's edge. During this time the party also looked to the Soviet model.
Today Kolkata continues to be run Communist bureaucrats. However, within the last few years the model has changed to Chinese model as the new leader of the party is completely pro business. This has largely to do with the fact that the younger generation began to move out of Kolkata and Bengal - state which Kolkata is in - when the condition of the city began to diminish.
Additionally, many of the businesses in India that foreign investors have their eyes on and pockets in are run by Bengali people who have left the state. In fact, Bengal has over 100,000 million people and contains the most educated/intellectual people in India. These businesses where the educated Bengali's have moved to are places like in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and so forth. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how the state changes in the coming years and decades due to this major pro-business policy shift.
As for people who were telling me these things, the contrast in the former business mentality to the new one could be seen within individuals in the room. One man who has conducted business for 30 years here was saying, "Oh nothing's ever going to change. The only answer they'll every give you is 'No.'" The other man who just arrived a few years ago working as a key intermediary between a major investment bank and the government was saying, "You have no idea about the change that's going to take place. It will just take a little time to change the mentality of the people."
In the morning, I have started going for walks along random streets and alleyways to take pictures and to see what happens. I have stumbled upon some very interesting communities.
I walked along this street where the road was breaking, kids were playing everywhere, and fathers were working in their "house" with other young men. The men were making the soles of women's shoes, welding metal bed frames, and carving wood. These houses aren't really houses in the typical sense. Rather they are one or two story buildings each person's house is actual just a room or two. As soon as an inhabitant opens the door he or she is looking onto the street. There's no porch, just the street. Also, as you can probably already guess privacy doesn't really exist much in India.
Some of the kids were passing a small, rubber soccer ball and I decided to join. I kicked it a few times when a group of guys my age came up to me and said, "Ahh, you play football? Where are you from?" They invited me into there soccer club house and demanded that I sit down. In this room was the entire soccer team and they were just relaxing and watching Bollywood music videos on TV. They were enamored to see a white, westerner in their neighborhood and especially one who know how to kick a soccer ball. So, in this room we juggled the ball and everyone clapped as players and I took turns. They offered me tea and food, which I declined as sanitation is not always at the top of the list amongst many people. It was great fun and completely spontaneous.
So, in this way I have gotten to see some of the common folk and have enjoyed there company very much. They are very compassionate, community oriented, and are generally not very affluent...which interestingly has yet to affect their overall happiness from as far as I can tell.
On another and similar note, I have also been afforded the opportunity to spend some time with the elite of Kolkata, from which I have learned a little about history, politics, and business.
This is what I have been told about Kolkata. Before the 1970's, Kolkata was one of the leaders of business in all of India. The Communist Party took over and despised business as well as the business leaders. This stifled commerce and as you can probably guess per capita income decreased. Thus, Kolkata lost it's edge. During this time the party also looked to the Soviet model.
Today Kolkata continues to be run Communist bureaucrats. However, within the last few years the model has changed to Chinese model as the new leader of the party is completely pro business. This has largely to do with the fact that the younger generation began to move out of Kolkata and Bengal - state which Kolkata is in - when the condition of the city began to diminish.
Additionally, many of the businesses in India that foreign investors have their eyes on and pockets in are run by Bengali people who have left the state. In fact, Bengal has over 100,000 million people and contains the most educated/intellectual people in India. These businesses where the educated Bengali's have moved to are places like in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and so forth. Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how the state changes in the coming years and decades due to this major pro-business policy shift.
As for people who were telling me these things, the contrast in the former business mentality to the new one could be seen within individuals in the room. One man who has conducted business for 30 years here was saying, "Oh nothing's ever going to change. The only answer they'll every give you is 'No.'" The other man who just arrived a few years ago working as a key intermediary between a major investment bank and the government was saying, "You have no idea about the change that's going to take place. It will just take a little time to change the mentality of the people."
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Mother Teresa House
Two days ago, I went to the Mother Teresa House to volunteer. It was incredible and eye opening. The facility we went to was called "Home for the Dying." It is a place where people who are to poor to be hospitalized and can not be taken care by their family come to die. Although, many of them in fact recover and return to normal daily life, which really isn't very normal by our standards. There are about 100 or so patients, around 25 volunteers, and a few doctors.
The patients (I don't think they call them that) can barely take care of themselves. They are very emaciated and look as though they have stepped out of pictures that were taken during the worst part of the holocaust. Most of these people can not walk on their own. Many have diseases, broken bones, deformities, or infected wounds. Many are in pain. Some are very out of it as they are on the brink of death. However, it is clear that they are all very appreciative of the help that the Dr's and volunteers give.
(This is the way it really is. I am not exaggerating this or making this into sensationalism. In fact, this description is softer than it should be.)
So, basically the volunteers bath them, dry them off, cloth them, give them medicine, and give food. We also carry them from place to place whether it is to the bathing room or to their beds. We clean the dishes and eat lunch upstairs. It is very taxing on the mind and the body, as I have never experienced anything like this. We have all seen pictures and heard stories. But, to actually experience it is difficult if not impossible to accurately describe
There are volunteers from all of the world, predominantly from Europe and Asia. Naturally, The volunteers were very fascinating to talk to as we were all very different in our appearences, languages, backgrounds, and so forth. Yet, it was clear that we shared something in common and that was this indescribable experience.
The first day was incredible and it is becoming obvious why certain people end of giving their lives to this kind of work in one way or another.
[I would take photos to share with you all. But, they explicitly do not permit this as someone could ultimately use it against them for the wrong reasons.]
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