Weather & people changing

March 26th, 2008 by Bronwen Mander

It’s horribly hot and sticky here – 37C (104F) & 93% humidity. We’re into 3 times a day showers now, although luckily it rained a couple of nights ago and it’s been a little more tolerable since then.

Whilst I often find myself wishing I could stay longer (I’m not sure I’ll be ready to leave Kolkata in just four weeks time), the unfortunate thing is that I am starting to feel seriously bored. I am particularly fond of the school – the teachers and Mosoumi and all that they are doing and achieving – and of course I adore the children. But it is particularly slow right now, because the school has been winding down following exams a couple of weeks ago and we’ve had many more free hours and days. All the students have now been graded and either promoted to the next class level or, for just a few strugglers, held back. Yesterday, we had the inauguration of the school’s playground, an amazing oasis in the midst of the poorest of the slums, provided by a donation of the founder’s family (the founder died), and a grand presentation of prizes to all the kids. Now we have the last three days of the week off and I have nothing to do. It’s so hot, I am reluctant to go out. Walking around town is not an option now – just walking 20 minutes to New Markets puts me in a bath of sweat that drips off my head and tickles down my back. The good thing is that I feel pretty relaxed and comfortable getting around, which should be very helpful to the three new GVN volunteers starting here next week.

Next week, the school revs up again with 20 new students starting in Nursery. My group of gorgeous Nursery children move into KG (Kindergarten – I think it’s like the Australian Grade 1-2), while I remain with my good friend and teacher Mosoumi in Nursery. I will miss them terribly (and I have to confess, I hope they miss me too).

Stefan, a GVN volunteer from Austria, left last Wednesday. On the Sunday before, he and I had the most expensive dinner I think I’ll ever have in India, at Fire and Ice (an upmarket Italian restaurant attended by the Indian middle class and foreign tourists). It cost us over Rs 1600 for two pizzas, an antipasto and two glasses of rather pleasant Indian red wine (Shiraz Cab if you want to know). I have to say, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. It was one of those “I feel happy” meals, where every mouthful makes you feel good.

At our regular Tuesday group meeting, I bought a small chocolate cake from Haldirams, one of the better cake shops here, and we had around 20ml each of a surprisingly nice wine, home-made by the school’s director, Anu, that really tasted like sherry. (Mosoumi told me she had never tasted red wine! How is that possible??)

On Wednesday, Kushi, the daughter of Bobby who looks after our guest house, turned One and they had a big party with their family and us lodgers. I think they had to invite us because they wanted to use the facility, but I was chuffed anyway. They had a big green cake with jungle animals all over it, and a merry cake knife that rang “Happy birthday to you”. We ate a delicious potato biryani and, for those who dared, a rich-looking mutton stew. The food was served in progression – the lodgers at first, then the children and then the rest of the family.

Holi Day, also called the Festival of Colors, was last Friday. People spend the day throwing colored powder and water at each other and bonfires are supposedly lit at night to signify burning of the demoness Holika. The spring season when the weather changes (you’d think it was summer) is believed to cause fevers and colds and so originally the playful throwing of colored powders had a medicinal significance – they were made of natural ingredients from pollens. Not now though. We were warned not to go out because we would definitely get hit by the coloured powders, which are toxic on your skin and stain your clothes!

So, after hiding in Monica House for some time, Debbie (from the UK) and I went out in the protection of a taxi to look around. There was nothing to see. The roads were deserted because it was a public holiday. And there were just a few people with their heads covered in red and fuchsia colours. I was also expecting the air to be choking with smoke, but, no, nothing. It was a real disappointment.