Editor's Note: I wrote this a few days ago
We finished working at khalighat this afternoon. I have a newfound respect for those who work in geriatrics. It is so difficult caring for those who can no longer care for themselves. As I work with the women (feeding them, helping them exercise, etc...), I can't help but wonder who they were before they sucuumbing to their current state. Some of the women are mentally alert, and some even speak English, but many have resorted to an unfamiliar state. A state that reminds me so much of that as a child. One woman cries like a baby, one can simply scream in pain, and some can barely move at all; they just look at you with this empty gaze of pain that is so sad. As I tried to help one of these woman walk, I found myself asking God why he didn't just take her out of her misery. I wonder if these women had a family at one point -- if they worked, or whatever their story may be. Now, however, without the care of the Sisters (and, of course, God), God knows where they would spend their last days. Alone, most likely. The Sister's work definitely inspires me to care more about the poor.
Another thing that's cool about volunteering is that people come here from all over the world. Today I worked with a couple Argentinians, an Israeli, Italians, and a girl from New Zealand. Learning about and talking with people from different cultures is one of my favorite parts of traveling
Anyway, I'll talk more about the chaos of Kolkata. Have I mentioned yet, that men just bathe in the streets here? Yeah, they put a towel around their waist and scrub themselves down at streetside water pumps. At least they bathe I guess. So things in India are ridiculously cheap. Ridiculously. When we eat Indian food, all three of us can eat whole, good meals at a restaurant for like, under $5 USD. Taxis are around $1 for a 15-20 minute ride, and I got advil at a local pharmacy for 20 cents. I am going to have serious financial shock going back to the U.S. and paying $4.50 for a latte instead of a dollar. However, if I don't have to be deafened by car horns as I sip it, it just might be worth the money...
Anyway, I'll talk more about the chaos of Kolkata. Have I mentioned yet, that men just bathe in the streets here? Yeah, they put a towel around their waist and scrub themselves down at streetside water pumps. At least they bathe I guess. So things in India are ridiculously cheap. Ridiculously. When we eat Indian food, all three of us can eat whole, good meals at a restaurant for like, under $5 USD. Taxis are around $1 for a 15-20 minute ride, and I got advil at a local pharmacy for 20 cents. I am going to have serious financial shock going back to the U.S. and paying $4.50 for a latte instead of a dollar. However, if I don't have to be deafened by car horns as I sip it, it just might be worth the money...
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