Discovering India

Kolkata Photos 1

2007-08-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

Kolkata Photos 2

2007-08-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

A New Perspective

2007-08-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

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."

Mother Teresa House

2007-08-09T02:23:00.000-07:00

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.]

Delhi

2007-07-31T23:45:00.001-07:00

The experience of Delhi has been a much more positive one than Kolkata. Delhi is clean. The traffic is less eratic. The people I am currently staying with are very hospitable and compassionate. They have made me feel a part of the family.

Yesterday, I visited Gandhi's memorial and was very moved by the display of his life. It was very clear that he was not only a man of eloquent words but also a man of the highest and most respectable actions. He cared not for the advancement of himself, but for the advancement of mankind that we all show compassion for one another regardless of religious beliefs, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and gender.

The memorial was built in the place where he was assasinated. Inside there were hallways full of pictures, the story of his life, Gandhi quotes, and quotes of people speaking about their experiences with Gandhi. From spending a few hours in this memorial it was clear that he was not a man who thought only in terms of the present moment, but also in terms of the very long term. It was also interesting to see pictures of a man who only wore hand spun loin cloth and was pretty skinny; yet he was the one of if not the most respected and powerful leader in India's history. He used a weapon that required no swords, guns, nor atomic energy. In Hindi is is called "ahimsa" also known as non-violence. This technique successfully dispelled the British from their rule over India. Additionally, as many know Martin Luther King Jr., who studied Gandhi extensively, used this same method of force to give African-Americans deserved rights in America.

After imperial rule the country of India, which at times and in certain locations, would be full of bloodshed between the Hindus and Muslims. In response, Gandhi would simply fast telling the country that he would starve to death if they did not quite their quit thier violence. More than once, the entire country would come to a state of peace in order to keep him alive and avoid the guilty concious of having killed Gandhi. I find this much respect and admiration for a moral and political leader to be quite unbelievable today. IF the leaders of today could embody what Gandhi stood for and influence the masses in such a way that he did, this world - I feel - would be a much more amazing and peaceful place.

Here is Gandhi's favorite hymn...

Refrain: He is gods devotee who identifies himself with others sorrows and so doing has no pride himself

1st stanza: Such a one respects everyone and speaks ill of none. He passions, may his mother be blessed.

2nd stanza: He is equidisposed towards all, has no desires, regards another's wife as one's own mother, always speaks the truth and does not touch other people's property.

3rd stanza: He labours neither under infatuation; nor withdraws his mind from worldy things. He is intent on God's name, his body is the sacred shrine and pilgramige

4rth stanza: He is no miser and is free from deciet and he has conquered passions and anger.

Here are some quotes by Gandhi that were displayed...

"My life is an indivisible whole, and all of my activities run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love of mankind."

"Forgiveness is a quality of the soul, and therefore, a positive quality it is not negative. Conquer anger by non-anger. But what is non-anger? I is a positive quality and means the supreme virtue of charity of love."

The First Ancient Wonder of the World

2007-07-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Everything that was said about the Taj Mahal's splendor and magnitude are true. There is an incredible blending of art and science in this archectural wonder of the world. If there was one word to describe this place it is "ineffable."

Unfortunately, pictures and words do not justify it or come close. But, here is a shot.

Beaches of Puri

2007-07-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

This place was very interesting, as mentioned a few posts below. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

House of Mother Teresa

2007-07-28T10:47:00.001-07:00

Here is where Mother Teresa lived, prayed, and worked in Kolkata. This place had a very peaceful feeling to it.

Indian Wedding

2007-07-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

"Pictures are worth more than a thousand words."

Puri

2007-07-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

After a five hour bus ride from Kolkata, we arrived at the beaches of Puri which is pronounced "Pooree." On the beach there were people everywhere and guess what else...cows!

The morning was free time. So, we went down to the beach. A large crowd of about 50 Indians congragated around us all staring and taking pictures. It was as if we were either celebrities or aliens. I felt more like an alien. One by one they would sit down with us and take pictures, while shaking our hands. They were very friendly, perhaps too friendly. The rest of the group, especially the females, became frustrated as the men were constantly staring. The local Indian women wore their sarees and did not get in the water. So, exposing the entire leg was apparently way out of the ordinary.

I stayed on the beach. The large crowd went back to their normal lives except for a few. I wanted to find some english speaking Puri people. There were hardly any. In fact the majority of Indians I have met can not understand Englsh enough to communicate with in simple terms. Usually, it is only the highly educated who can hold a conversation in English. Two university students who spoke English sat with me along with about six others who wanted to ask questions through the students. One student was studying software engineering and the other was studying business. The software engineer told me that only 5 percent of India's population is computer literate. This was very suprising. Given India's population of 1.12 billion people this means that 56 million people are computer literate. Overall, Puri was a pretty poor area but not extreme. The people were very kind and seemed to enjoy their lives.

There will be much more to update you on and some fascinating photos to upload.

Much Has Happened

2007-07-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

It is tempting to glamorize India. However, after living here for 11 days in five different cities and traveling well over 1,000 miles it becomes very difficult to do so. As all know, it is true that India has experienced phenomenal growth rates in recent years and there are loud buzz words constantly reiterated in regard to India such "IT services, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and a rapidly growing highly educated population." All of these facts are clear indications of a bright and prosperous India.

However, upon visiting, observing, and experiencing India it is also true that there is a long way to go. In Kolkata, we were staying in the oldest part of the city which is located by the Ganges. This was the place where the East India Company of England built one of the first trade settlements in 1690. Naturally, much has developed since. Now, 317 years later, the five story stone buildings appear a bit dilapidated as most of the paint has been shed from the walls. The sidewalks are cracked and mud is exposed. The exhaust from motor vehicles is black and is impossible to avoid breathing when driving or walking. There is trash strewn about just about everywhere. When the day is gets hot the trash heats up and lets of pockets of stench. There are people everywhere either on foot, on bicycles, on rickshaws, and in cars. Many times I have seen men peeing on walls by the sidewalk of a very busy street. Additionally, it is not peak tourism season as it is can get very hot and is always humid. It is also the season of rain, which did not help the aesthetics of Kolkata. Although, this is not the most fun to write about I feel it is necessary to illustrate what is really going in this part of the Kolkata that we first visited. There may be better parts of Kolkata as we did not get to explore it enough to evaluate the entire city. I will explore the city more extensively when I arrive at the beginning of August.

*Pictures will come once the camera difficulties are resolved.

More Pictures!

2007-07-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

If you double click the pictures you can enlarge them.

* NOTE - Sometimes it may take a few days to update the site due to lack of access to the internet.

* * If there is anything that you would like for me to take particular photos of or if you would like to ask about a particular aspect of Indian society/culture I encourage you to do so by e-mailing me at jmcallister2@elon.edu.

People...

2007-07-19T22:38:00.001-07:00

The people here are very kind natured, which has been very fascinating to observe. After spending a few weeks in NYC before this it is very interesting to compare. I haven't seen any mothers yelling at their children in the subway and when walking around the city people don't say things like "Hey get out of my way!"

Instead people get on with their lives in a more quiet way. They respect each others space and sense of dignity. Sometimes it shows in more subtle ways than others. For instance, when we were in line at a Kentucky Fried Chicken I noticed the manager came over to one his subordinates serving food, lightly rubbed his back, and said, "Is everything going okay? Is there anything I can do for you?" Here, it is not odd for males to treat other males this way.

I believe another aspect of this type of treatment is that Indian people take their jobs seriously and are very appreciative. We saw one man closing his shope down for the night. He brought out lit incense and walked around the building bowing towards it and kissed the windows right before he left.

Here and Well

2007-07-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

There was a greatful feeling upon arrival. In many ways, I felt as though I was at home I had never been to before.

It is a very fascinating culture. Sometimes it feels like 300 years ago, when watching a classical Indian concert with the artists sitting on the stage with tabla drums, sitars, and singing in a way that is quite incomparable to the style that we are use to. Sometimes it feels like you are in the 1940's when riding in cabs that looks like something out of Dick Tracy. Sometimes it feels America in the present day as our group walked through a shopping mall with stores like KFC, Pizza Hut, Adidas, and so forth.

The streets are very crowded and traffic laws almost do not exist here. Crossing the street is similar to playing the video game Frogger, where you have to strategically run across the street in order to make it across safely. Fortunately they do not drive very nearly as fast as you will see in metropolitan areas in America.

Here are some pics of the journey thus far. Interpret them as you wish.

All Aboard!

2007-07-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Before any journey there is a glow around the expectations, curiosity, and the unquentiable desire to have the best experience possible. From headlines in major newspapers, to small talk about world affairs, to learning of the evolving global economy, to desiring to understand various cultures, to those with spiritual curiosity, and to learning about poverty, India can have many ways of being described. How true are these descriptions that make up the tapestry of India, as we know it?

The hope of this photojournal is to illustrate India in it's truest form for all those desiring to learn about this land of legends, myths, and of course reality.

To give you a brief on the agenda, beginning July 16th there will be two weeks of travelling filled with primarily tourist activities. However, there will be more down to earth experiences as the group of Elon students will be travelling with a woman who was born and raised in India.

After this I will be on my own residing primarily in Kolkata (Calcutta) for three weeks.