Refreshing

Hello all!

Having an amazing time. Really hard to put into words what weve been experiencing... death on the streets has come so common that we are at the point where we look at each other and nod for confirmation if a sleeping dog is breathing. It is also hard to tell when a mother is holding a baby that is alive. Still we manage to laugh and joke, another ten metres down the road.

However on a lighter note we have also had a number of really positive experiences. We've met many people such as the Jungle Crows rugby team and the children from Future Hope. If I could use one word to describe these people and the positive parts of Kolkata it would be refreshing. Helping Suraj (a little kid I met from Future Hope) finish his homework or prepare his bed was particularly memorable, he was so proud and took every opportunity he was offered.  Playing touch in the Maidan as the sun set was also as memorable. It is these experiences that make me realise there is hope for (I want to say humanity, but that seems extreme) maybe hope for my reassurance about humanity. In a place where poverty and hunger raid the streets it REASSURES me to meet these people and realise the effect they can have on others (they certainly affected me). I feel I'm breathing India and its "Air" is particularly refreshing. 

Jake