Brief update, sort of

So, a few things.

It's amazing how in a city whose 2005 census reported 13.2 million people (and that was 2 years, and couldn't possibly have counted all the people living on the streets), the one person you least want to see is somehow able to find you.

I got sick for the first time yesterday, but luckily it has already past.  It wasn't terrible, just generally achiness, a bit of stomach upset, and what felt like it could have been fever but may have just been the heat.

I continue to be slightly overwhelmed by the constant noise, so today I did one of the activities that our guidebook had recommended when you need a break from the city.  I went to the Oberoi Grand Hotel, a 5-star hotel just a couple of blocks from where I'm staying, and read and journalled for a few hours.  It was wonderful.  I got a break from the honking, listened to some terrible elevator music, enjoyed the a/c, and reflected without having my thoughts constantly interrupted.  I do love this city, but it was quite nice to be able to take a break.  And I think I probably did some of my best journalling today.

Also, I stopped by an optometrist office in hopes of getting an eye test appointment.  As it turns out, things like that get done much quicker here in Kolkata than in the States.  They did the test on the spot and they have their own lab, so I'll be picking up my glasses any time after 4 pm today.  I stopped in about 11:15 am.  I'm pretty amazed.  And it only set me back 1285 Rs (about $33.00 at an exchange rate of 39.4 Rs to 1 US$).  

I'm really loving meeting fellow travellers.  Such fascinating stories! 

Almost forgot!  I love working at Kalighat.  The women there are absolutely beautiful and so very joyous.  I think my favorite experience of Kolkata so far has been having a conversation with one of the women where I did not understand a single word she said.  But she talked to me for about 30 min and I smiled and nodded and it was a wonderful experience. 

Much Prem, 
Melissa

Halloo! Auntie! You want rickshaw?

I began volunteering on Tuesday, 2 days after I arrived in Kolkata.  The home that I am working at is called Shishu Bavan.  There are 2 sections to the home; one is for a few classes of toddlers where volunteers teach the children basic things like ABCs and basic mathematics.  I work in the 2nd section with handicapped children.  
I arrive each day at 8 am, which is the time when the children get their morning juice and the volunteers assist the sisters and the women who work there, called mashis, with this. Then, it is time to help the children with their excercises.  The 2 children who I have excercised with have both been girls with cerebral palsy, so their excercises have mainly been massaging their legs and arms and helping them bend their joints so they don't become stiff.  Usually the excercises are done pretty quickly and you have some time to just visit and play with the children, which is super fun.  There is a break, and we end the shift by changing and then feeding the children and visiting with them some more.  All of the children there are wonderfully sweet and I am definitely enjoying my work.  I had a bit of a hard time with the feeding the first day.  I ended up with food spit pretty much all over my pants and apron.  But I was already better on the 2nd day, so hopefully I will continually to get progressively better.
I plan to begin working an afternoon shift about 3 days a week at a home called Kalighat.  Here, I will be working with women with severe injuries and terminal illnesses.  I do admit, I'm a little frightened of what I'll see there, but I'm really looking forward to it as well.  I'll let you know more about that when I start working there.
The city of Kolkata is absolutely amazing.  There's so much going on here all the time.  It is really hard to get used to the constant noise, though, particularly the honking.  It seems like everyone here just assumes that no one else on the road has eyes.  They honk every single time they pass another vehicle, or pedestrians in the street.  I think I may have to get out of the city on my next break day (Thursdays) so that I can get a break from that.
Shopping has been my favorite experience.  You definitely have to be looking for something in particular here if you are going to go shopping.  Browsing is almost impossible, as there are constantly men coming up to you asking, "You are going to New Market?  What are you looking for?  You come to my shop?  Just look, no buy, just look.  What do you want?  We have.  We have everything, come to my shop."  It definitely makes it easy to find what you're looking for, but, like I said, makes browsing nearly impossible.  
The hardest thing to get used to in the city is the patriarchal nature of India.  Being both a foreigner and a woman is a difficult thing, and the constant staring is a little disconcerting.  My first day, I was completely oblivious to it because I was so fascinated by everything.  However, it is certainly not easy to ignore.  For myself, it has mostly just been staring and a bit of yelling from the men on the street.  I also believe that there is MORE honking when you are a women than there would be if you're a man.  A couple of girl friends have had some harder experiences, but we're all learning to deal with it in our own ways.  It's just another part of Indian culture, you can't really let it get to you too much.
Oh, and being woken up at 5 am by Japanese heavy metal.  Yeah, that's fun, too.  We moved out of the hostel where that was a problem this morning, though, so hopefully I'll be able to sleep later now.
And, yeah, that's that.  I'm sure there will be more soon though.
Love!