Well, after I got back from the Andaman Islands I went to go and help the nuns working at Prem Dam, this is a place where elderly, sick and dying people stay. I woke very early that Wednesday morning (4:30) to leave at 5:00 to get to motherhouse for mass at 5:45 before having breakfast (bananas and bread) and walking off to Prem Dam. It was a bit like working in a nursing home - in the kind of jobs we had to do like washing the sheets, changing the beds, getting blankets, taking people to the toilet, just being there to chat to and handing out food. The volunteers only work half a day so at 12:30 we go off. There was no one in charge to say what to do or how to do it - you just asked other volunteers - I thought it would be better organised in all honesty. It was nice to see that there was a large number of people volunteering, there was a school load of NZ 17/18 year olds who were on a school trip doing volunteer work for like 2 weeks - Pretty eye opening life experience for them I should expect.
The next day was a day off, and I fell ill- just a cold or something, but not a nice one. So I did little over the next few days - Thursdays are volunteers days off, so I took it easy that day thinking I may make a miraculous recovery. Which I didn't. So I ended up not going back to the nuns; we were told not to go in if we were ill in case we made the people there unwell too.
I tried to do non strenuous stuff like visiting the botanical gardens and sitting around in coffee shops reading Terry Pratchett books. But even walking was tiring and trying to get places - like the botanical gardens was a lot of hard work - seriously taxi drivers need to learn where places are or be ready to say they have no idea where that is so I dont get taken for a literal ride!
Made some friends - Kim, Scott and Peter from sitting around in the cafe where we think we might have all got ill. We didn't go back. I hung out with these guys Christmas day for breakfast and met up with them again in the evening. It was a very unconventional Christmas day - although I did eat a lot of cake. I've recently discovered Skype and Skyped home which was wonderful. And then I slobbed out in cafes some more before meeting people for drinky-poos. Kim and I and this English guy went to a club afterwards where they played energetic cover versions of songs we knew... I cant remember what any of them were now - but I recall dancing and having to turn round to tell some men to stop touching my posterior! Anyway, it was a wonderful relaxed day, followed by a happnin' night.
On my last day in Kolkata I went out for lunch with a guy that runs the hotel who had shown me where to buy a pencil case the other day. It was delicious food! -He's such a nice guy! Then I went to wait at the train station and hopped on my train to Delhi. The journey was fine, I think it went quicker as we were given food like every 2 hours. Except at night time.
Right - I'm in a bit of a hurry cos I'm writing this just before hopping on a bus to Srinagar up in Kashmir and Jammu in the North of India. So I'm going to have to condense some of the last few days.
I met up with Betty in the evening of my first day in Delhi and he took me on a drive around to show me some of the sights. The food here is also just as delicious as everywhere else. We ate at a fancy restaurant. I visited Connaught place and made friends with 2 random Indian guys - Abdul Majeed and Naz from Dharmasala - we got chatting about where I wanted to visit so they advised me to go North hence my trip up there. I'm taking an 18 hour long bus trip and plan to stay in Srinagar for 3 days before making my way down to Dharmasala and Amritstar nd the Corbett Tiger Reserve ( I will see Tigers damn it!) Anyway. On other days I went to India Gate and the Modern Art Gallery and the National Museum. Betty took me round on the Delhi bus on New Years day after our fabulous party round his house for New Years.
The Awesome Party:
Deserves its own paragraph cos it was like the most fun I've had at new years ever. Went shopping with Betty's friend Ravel, to get supplies. Went to Betty's house to do the cookng. I was the chef - I even had to chop off a turkey's head and legs. Betty's mother helped - we had a lovely chat n the kitchen. She seems to think my trip up north is a bit crazy like everyone else... hmmm. Anyway I made a roast and loads of veg, bruscetta for a starter and even little cheese squares with pineapple and olive. There was lots of choc cake, and brownies made by Betty's mother - which were amazing - and mousses she made too. Food - delightful. There were only about 6-10 of us at the party - but they were all Betty's close friends/famlily. Ravel had brought Karaoke along so after it turned 12 we played that until about 2. I've never done Karaoke before and it was SOOOO much more fun than I ever imagined. I loved listening to other people. Especially Betty. Especailly Betty rapping. Betty's best friend Ajar(sp?) has the Best laugh ever so we were both in hysterics for a good part of the evening. I met a princess. And then we went back to GK where I was staying (Betty's guest house) the others went to another party - but I was exhausted and didnt want to make the evening drag.
Got to go now!
Hope everyone else had a fabulous new years!!!
I'll post photos later!
The next day was a day off, and I fell ill- just a cold or something, but not a nice one. So I did little over the next few days - Thursdays are volunteers days off, so I took it easy that day thinking I may make a miraculous recovery. Which I didn't. So I ended up not going back to the nuns; we were told not to go in if we were ill in case we made the people there unwell too.
I tried to do non strenuous stuff like visiting the botanical gardens and sitting around in coffee shops reading Terry Pratchett books. But even walking was tiring and trying to get places - like the botanical gardens was a lot of hard work - seriously taxi drivers need to learn where places are or be ready to say they have no idea where that is so I dont get taken for a literal ride!
Made some friends - Kim, Scott and Peter from sitting around in the cafe where we think we might have all got ill. We didn't go back. I hung out with these guys Christmas day for breakfast and met up with them again in the evening. It was a very unconventional Christmas day - although I did eat a lot of cake. I've recently discovered Skype and Skyped home which was wonderful. And then I slobbed out in cafes some more before meeting people for drinky-poos. Kim and I and this English guy went to a club afterwards where they played energetic cover versions of songs we knew... I cant remember what any of them were now - but I recall dancing and having to turn round to tell some men to stop touching my posterior! Anyway, it was a wonderful relaxed day, followed by a happnin' night.
On my last day in Kolkata I went out for lunch with a guy that runs the hotel who had shown me where to buy a pencil case the other day. It was delicious food! -He's such a nice guy! Then I went to wait at the train station and hopped on my train to Delhi. The journey was fine, I think it went quicker as we were given food like every 2 hours. Except at night time.
Right - I'm in a bit of a hurry cos I'm writing this just before hopping on a bus to Srinagar up in Kashmir and Jammu in the North of India. So I'm going to have to condense some of the last few days.
I met up with Betty in the evening of my first day in Delhi and he took me on a drive around to show me some of the sights. The food here is also just as delicious as everywhere else. We ate at a fancy restaurant. I visited Connaught place and made friends with 2 random Indian guys - Abdul Majeed and Naz from Dharmasala - we got chatting about where I wanted to visit so they advised me to go North hence my trip up there. I'm taking an 18 hour long bus trip and plan to stay in Srinagar for 3 days before making my way down to Dharmasala and Amritstar nd the Corbett Tiger Reserve ( I will see Tigers damn it!) Anyway. On other days I went to India Gate and the Modern Art Gallery and the National Museum. Betty took me round on the Delhi bus on New Years day after our fabulous party round his house for New Years.
The Awesome Party:
Deserves its own paragraph cos it was like the most fun I've had at new years ever. Went shopping with Betty's friend Ravel, to get supplies. Went to Betty's house to do the cookng. I was the chef - I even had to chop off a turkey's head and legs. Betty's mother helped - we had a lovely chat n the kitchen. She seems to think my trip up north is a bit crazy like everyone else... hmmm. Anyway I made a roast and loads of veg, bruscetta for a starter and even little cheese squares with pineapple and olive. There was lots of choc cake, and brownies made by Betty's mother - which were amazing - and mousses she made too. Food - delightful. There were only about 6-10 of us at the party - but they were all Betty's close friends/famlily. Ravel had brought Karaoke along so after it turned 12 we played that until about 2. I've never done Karaoke before and it was SOOOO much more fun than I ever imagined. I loved listening to other people. Especially Betty. Especailly Betty rapping. Betty's best friend Ajar(sp?) has the Best laugh ever so we were both in hysterics for a good part of the evening. I met a princess. And then we went back to GK where I was staying (Betty's guest house) the others went to another party - but I was exhausted and didnt want to make the evening drag.
Got to go now!
Hope everyone else had a fabulous new years!!!
I'll post photos later!
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