DumDum, ect

My friend, Katarina, and I went to an area of Kolkata called DumDum today. Katarina is attempting to teach English to a class of street children, and she was told that College street is the place to get supplies. College street consisted of street vendors behind piles of used and smelly books. People were burning trash in the street, including toxic chemicals and tires. Also, we took the subway to get there which was an experience in itself. The subway was insanely crowded despite it being the middle of the day. I can't imagine what it is like during rush hour. In Kolkata, there are countless people who live on the street and no public bathrooms. Consequently, it seems to be quite acceptable to relieve yourself wherever anywhere and everywhere. I don't think I'll be able to get used to this.

My favorite people in Kolkata are the children of Shishu Bhavan, and I've nearly got all their names memorized. I realized that several of the kids have pictures of couples on the wall with their name next to it. I guess this means they have adopted families picked out for them! I can't imagine why my kids wouldn't get adopted. They are so little, so cute, and so lovable. This was my fifth day with them, but only the first time we got to leave our windowless, 12x12 room where my 20 kids spend their day. We had the opportunity to go out into the courtyard with all the other children at the home and watch a circus. They were a group called "Performers without Borders" from the UK. I got a chance to talk to them after the show. They are here for a month conducting workshops at a school for street children. They wanted to see Mother House and I felt like a veteran volunteer showing them how to get there and where the museum, Mother's tomb, and her bedroom are.

Yesterday, one of my roommates was very ill. When I came back to check on her midday, there were two women in white cotton saris next to her bed. Sister Mercy Maria and Sister Michael heard she was sick and came to bring her medicine and just to sit and visit with her. They are such incredible women. Most of them join the order when they are younger than I am, and they are prepared to uproot themselves and move every six months. Mother House and the sisters who live there seem to be one of the few redeeming aspects of this inhuman city. I keep thinking I have seen the grossest place a person could possibly live, and then I go to a different part of the city and realize it actually gets worse. The same could be said about the quality of the air.