Reverse Culture Shock

It's another term and generally all our giving terms to things starts to seem a bit silly after a while but I am definitely experiencing something akin to this one

It's weird being back in New Zealand

I've been trying to figure out why.

For the first couple of days I ate nothing but salad cos I haven't been able to eat any while away. Salad is washed in water and water over there is dangerous - so I've been in massive vitamin withdrawal and thoroughly enjoying fresh uncooked vegetables

The first 2 days were about trying to get my stomach to feel normal again with familiar fresh food. And hoping my lungs and airways would feel less abused.

All the time you're thinking about what you've seen and experienced. Your brain doesn't stop running all the encoounters over and over and wondering what those people are up to now

We went out to breakfast this morning (K and I) on the advice of all our friends who tell us we won't have time to do these kinds of things once baby comes.

I watched people shopping and tried to equate them with the people we saw doing the same in Kolkata and Dhaka. They're all just people living their lives and going about their business.

But they're not the same.

I guess for the first couple of weeks I tried to put the experiences of Dhaka into the compartments in my head that hold the experiences you have in New Zealand. That didn't work so you have to stop doing that. Now I'm back and the experiences I was having while away are now gone and these "new-old" ones don't fit the boxes I was preparing for the "old-new" ones

This probably makes no sense. I guess if it still doesn't make sense to me it'd be ambitious to have it make sense for anyone else

Suffice to say - it's weird (but good) to be back

Thank you all

A quick word of thanks to all of you who emailed and encouragements and thoughts

Owing to technical difficulties I have only received some of them now that I am back but I am pleased that you've been blessed to hear the stories and really appreciative of your support

thank you

Home Again

Well after 33 hours in transit I am home again!

We had a loooong layover in Bangkok - more than 15 hours during which I opted to sleep in one of the dayrooms you can rent

And then finally after 4 long weeks and 33 even longer hours I walked out those doors into a happiness I have not experienced since my wedding day (sorry for waxing lyrical)

But I had some fears in coming home.

I was worried I wouldn't want or be able to talk to K about the experiences. That may sound odd but some people have used a good word in their emails to me to describe the experience - harrowing. Which is exactly what the trip has been on more than one occasion.

Harrowing things are difficult to talk about.

But already I have begun to talk things thru with her and being the wonderful wife she is K has tried hard to understand and give me room to talk about them - so that fear has not eventuated

There is another fear tho.

Complacency.

A trip like this should be life changing. That's why you go on it in the first place. I fear choosing complacency.

Brooke Fraser put it well "Now that I have seen - I am responsible"

I wonder what I will do with all this now - will it make a difference? Will I burn out from trying to change too much too soon? Will I dismiss it all as an "interesting experience" and just go back to the way things used to be.

Now that I have seen.

God's washroom

Today we visited Kalighat - literally translated as Kali's bath

Kali is the goddess of Kolkata and is taken very seriously by the local population

The queues for the faithful to go in and have their sacrifices performed were around the block and down the road - as Westerners and visitors we are able to visit without waiting in the queue because we don't get to go in to the temple proper

so we were given a tour around the outer courts of the temple past the sacrifice pit (still with fresh goats blood on the ground) and the baths where people bath in the sacred waters

Most of us were left pretty stunned by what we saw

Down the road is one of the Gangees - where people bathe surrounded by rubbish and human filth (I can't think of a euphemism)

Immediately next door is Mother Theresa's house for the Destitute and Dying (like thru the wall) - it was originally a part of the of the temple but has since been annexed - you see the story of this in the movie about her life

It's the place people who have nowhere to go and die come to spend their last days to be treated with at least a little dignity. AS I write this tears are welling up (again)

both places are very similar and very different in ways I can't write about here

Suffice to say it was one heck of a morning. We're trying to volunteer to help at the latter but it's proving difficult thanks to some unconscionable foreigners creating problems in the past

So it looks like I might be back at (F) tomorrow and (I) too

Will let you know

Just 2 days to go now and I miss K pretty bad - can't wait to be home with her again

See you all soon

Only a few sleeps to go

I can't believe we are closing in on the end now but we are

Ok we have been out to Shreerampur which is a town across the river from Kolkata

I spent another day at (F) which was not as productive as the first but will spend one last one out there on Wednesday

Shreerampur was interesting not really a village more of a town but still very rural. Dirt roads and pretty shops and very friendly people. The rural Bengali are always so friendly

We ate some delicius street food K would have loved cos it was hot and spicy but VERY flavourful and we drank copious amounts of char - the Indian tea delicacy served in tiny clay pots which you smash ceremonially after you drink cos they are considered unclean

Char contains tea and ginger and (depending on the maker) other secret spices. It's also made with sweetened condensed milk and sugar but at 4 rupees a cup (approximately 12c) everyone in India can enjoy it

It's ubiquitous and wonderfully indian. The makers are quite flamboyant in style and protective of their receipes - it's a very special Bengali ritual

We also got a tour of the history of William Carey in this place which was fasinating by J.O. (the man whom I can't film) but that's ok - the history was for our benefit and not all that filmable

All in all a full day and quite tiring

To go now we have only a volunteer session at Mother Theresa's (hopefully) and a trip to (F) again on Wed. We'll hear from another business trust on Wednesday night that focus on electrical items - met the GM the other day and he's a top bloke

Thursday is site seeing and winding down which we need cos we're all exhausted

Please think of S.P. - his back is very sore - he could not accompany us today

I am doing better - really only tired and getting ready to come home

Have so much to think about and respond to - what will the future hold...

A lighter moment

Have to share this with you

Traffic in Kolkata is madder than Dhaka cos the vehicles are bigger. Lots of buses and taxis and these weird 3 wheeled trucks

There are no real road rules except that you must sound your horn to make others aare of your presence. You don't even have to drive in your lane - so no one does - you just try to get from A to B without using brakes

Pedestrians literally run out into the road and wave at cars in an attempt to not be hit - and incredibly the cars obey. And their are soooo many of both

So the other day while attempting to cross the road ourselves we are running from one side to the other. And these vehicles are racing to get past before we get to their postion so they don't have to let us

So picture if you will the following flashing past in front of you as you run for your life

BUS, BUS, TAXI, TAXI, BUS, Man on a pony, BUS

Huh?

Yep in the middle of this carnage is a man riding a little pony

It's a similar story walking down the street where vendors have the rights to the side walk and you step over and round them

Man selling watches, man selling spices, man selling motorcycle horns, man selling fruit, live goat, man selling belts, man selling pens, 2 more goats.

B.H. reminded me the other day that when William Carey moved here his wife went insane...

I'm not surprised

3 days in business

I have spent the last 3 days at a trust (F) learning about how they are trying to do business and why it's different from the conventional business models because of it's focus on people

I helped make a few screen prints for bags and managed to do a fix on their network to get the internet working on each PC rather than one at a time which in many ways is probably the highlight of the trip

next week I'll go back for one more day and add some security to their wireless setup because it's unsecured. It'll be cool to have done just those few things

To help an organisation that I have heard so much about and that has done so much to help others was a real privilege.

I met a number of the young women who work there and took a harrowing walk thru 2 nearby redlight districts where they had been working until they came to (F) with S.P. one night

The contrast in the faces from the street to (F) is striking. So much hope at the latter so little in the former.

Today we're visiting a shopping mall to see how the upper half live

We've had some western food while here but it's really awful. Chocolate is watery and sugary, there's no fresh milk - all UHT, it's filthy - and that's no exaggeration - and SO noisy all the time.

I'm considering wearing ear plugs while I move around the town

We have a trip to another group I'll call (S) to go - it's actually based in the slums and will be the hardest bit to face. We are also going to Mother Theresas to tend to some very sick people

These will be truly heart breaking experiences I am sure. So I'm not sure whether to steel myself for them or see what comes

we have even more ill people at the moment - colds and flus mostly - but strangely I am well. I think we're all low on energy and spirit. Only because it's been such a powerful trip

It's difficult to convey in writing what it is like here - it is like nowhere I have been

If you're still reading this I won't blame you if you don't really get what I'm on about - I'm not sure I'll understand it for some time to come

Picking up now

Today we went to visit an organisation that employs independent
sewing contractors - largely made up of girls from the streets

They showed us their handiwork which was most impressive

Also heard the story of a local man who is going around treating the
homeless under cover of darkness - he appears to be a doctor as he is
well equipped - but no one knows who he is

Kind of cool to think that this is happening when most of the time we
only hear the sad stories

This city is just an incredible set of contradictions

Wealth and poverty - modern and old - filthy and clean

Eloquent English speaking homeless people and beggars who cling to
you talking a language you don't understand -

I'm tired every day because I am always overwhelmed.

Don't really have anything more profound to say than that at the
moment.

Next couple of days we visit more businesses - and I'm keen to see
them

will let you know how it goes

Kolkata at last

I am writing this to you from a crappy dodgey internet cafe in
Kolkata.

This city is harder than Dhaka for a couple of reasons

One is that I am more tired now than the first day in Dhaka. The
second is it is bigger and faster paced. THere are more buses, fewer
rickshaws - LOTS more cars

We've been to Mother Theresas Mauseleum this morning and looked
around and seen her "tomb" thing.

It was special but sad at the same time. It was all very humble but I
think she'd be sad that so many people seemed to come to worship her.
AS we were there maybe 200 people came thru to bow and kiss her
tombstone and pray over her

I don't think she'd be happy with that fuss

But it was special to go and see her and think about the work she did
there

We went out for coffee and wandered down some side streets. Amazing
sights. People washing in drains, carving the side of a cow, working
on motorbikes, burning (something) - all in a row next to street
vendors and all sorts

Blows your mind

Less beggars but as much poverty and filth - there's just no room for
the beggars I guess

I am worried I am not going to like it as much here. But I am tired
and still a bit unwell

Perhaps tomorrow with some sleep and feeling a bit better I might
embrace it more - right now I feel like I'm goign thru the motions

Got a hard time coming up for the film. I want to film J.O. (the
head guy here) as he shows us the Business as Mission stuff but he
really HATES cameras - but this is the most important part of the
trip for me personally

Please *hope* that he and I can find a compromise - I meet him (for
the 2nd time) tonight

The team is mostly well now - just J.D., R.P. and I with the same
stomach problem.

Hopefully tomorrow brings good news

must fly

The moment of all moments so far

Today we spent time with a group of Burmese refugees here in Dhaka

One of the overseas workers here is looking after them and teaching them english. There are about 60 Burmese refugees in Dhaka - which is odd for such an homogenous city and about 20 of them are coming to the lessons. How they are living the could not tell us but they are not eligible to be employed. Only some have official refugee status.

They wept when they told us they had left everything to escape persecution. Some had babies. Babies. Here. When you run away from Burma to raise your baby in Dhaka you are the real thing.

You would never wish to have a child here - not if you could choose where.

Some had been here for 15 years plus, had been university teachers but couldnt go back because the army knew they had been involved in opposing the army's takeover in the 1980s

They can not go home

I was amazed by this and the fact with a smile they would say "well, that's life"

Some have left their family behind - some might never see them again

Just incredible.

It's not life. It's not my life anyway.

Something for Graceway

Have to share this for the graceway folks

We were asked at Brahmanbaria by the local "church group" for ideas as to how they could better reach their communities.

Many people suggested Coffee nights and food banks etc - which is very nice but the group is as poor as the people they serve - one pastor even commented quite tongue in cheek "your church must be wealthy" to the suggestion of cooking meals for homeless people

When we came round the group to me I told them about the trips to Mount Wellington to pick up rubbish - cos we believe that the earth should be treated as precious and this could be a great service to the community

There was immediate discussion amongst those presetn and this Sunday they are going to do it

Just like that - they absolutely loved it!

I was so stoked to take a little piece of Graceway and now it is residing in a community group in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.

Of programs and people

the Overseas workers here are such beautiful people. They care about only one thing - reaching these people with some kind of hope. We've seen awesome development programs

Education for the poor, hostels,

Speaking of which... we took a ferry from Old Dhaka to Chandpour (apolgies for spelling). This experience alone could take a massive post to explain suffice to say it was an interesting experience

From Chandpour we took rickshaws out to villages to meet with locals and ask them about their life in the villages. We have a project to produce a presentation asking for support from new zeland for the development programs going on for one of the overseas workers here

IT was amazing to see how rural bangladesh lives and that they were so happy to explain their lives to us. Opinions were unanimous that education is the most important development needed for these kids

Few girls go to school and those who do find that high school is only marginally more challenging than high school and often leave

After spending the morning with them we went on to a 2nd village and more questions and learning. A stuning meal was put on for us and we met a feisty muslim teenage girl in a village who declared she was going to be a great doctor in strong English. She was really obstreperous and we all really liked her.

The following day we visited Brahmanbaria - a hostel which hosts some of the children from the villages we visited. It's giving kids a quality education they would not get and there is also an excellent maternity hostel attached which caters to people of all faiths and social standings. A rare thing here.

I must admit I felt very homesick at the sight of babies in incubators

The hostel has 50 boys and we distributed gifts we had brought with us from NZ - including the 2 cricket bats I've been lugging all this time. Man those kids had some crazy cricket skills. They were so talented

The boys were such amazing young men. So full of hope and such a contrast to some of what we had seen in the villages

You have to believe in the value of child sponsorship. It is awesome

Signing off for now

6 days in and still alive... just

Hello all

Sorry about the delay in commenting. Internet is very unreliable here and there is a long queue of eager people

Scavenger Hunt went well but J.D. and I lost. We were in pairs trying to buy fruit and find shops and identify services and we went down the wrong road. It was better that way tho. The poverty was apalling. Like finding a slum just off Queen Street.

We wandered down an ever narrowing road.Enormous potholes - 10 feet deep and wide enough to swallow a motorbike. The rickshaw wallas have to avoid them. It stunk and there was grabage everywhere.

You get stared at here. It's incredible. The idolise us and yet they are by far the more beautiful people. Sharp features, dark even skin, deep eyes - and beaming smiles. They are the sweetest people. When they stare at you you feel intimidated - bu then you smile or greet them and they just beam.

The poverty is indescribable. For all my filming I cannot capture it. People walk up to you in the street and show you their deformities and then beg for money

I have seen missing limbs, missing eyes, elephantitis, polio, paralysis, withered limbs, mental illness - there are sooooo many people here. 15 Million in this city and many are poor and sick.

This team (the one I am on) are just amazing. Today they all wanted to help me since I am unwell and it's really humbling.

I don't hold well to people putting themselves out for me. But I could feel myself softening somewhat with such caring.

Very humbling indeed that people would care for me like that