My Para

Tonight we took a moment to read out the blogs/comments that you, our families and friends have uploaded to the site over the last day and a half. As we made our way through the large quantity of feedback (which we absolutely love), it was remarkable to realise we are newbies, having only been in this manic country for less than 48 hours, even though it feels like it has been forever already.

Since my last blog we have all witnessed moments of delight and scenes where hope has seemed to run away from any substance which should be breathing life. This truly is a remarkable place and the boys are handling it with great maturity and fortitude.

So, what have these moments been:

Tuesday 10 December (cont'd)

4pm- Our very good friend from the previous two tours, Paul Walsh, arrived at Hotel Emirates. With him he brought a large network of people that we would come to call friends in no time at all.
4:15pm- We head to the Maidan to join the Jungle Crows, a rugby club/charity, administered by Paul and his band of big-hearted individuals, in a game of touch. For the Editor it was especially good to catch up with Zaf and Tudu who were key drivers in the interactions that boys from prior groups enjoyed. The matches, obviously between AGS (representing NZ) and the Jungle Crows (representing India), were even sided affairs, with a little bit of blood being shed (Angus Grant's finger nail took at battering when he poked an opponent in the eye as a method of ensuring he made the touch). Another notable feature was the toe (physical speed that is) of Ivan Jin- I suppose you can't be in an all conquering Premier Badminton team though unless you can dance on your feet
5pm- It is decided that it is too dark to continue the games as the rubbish which surrounds the entire surface of the Maidan (the venue of the touch fixture which is the Kolkata equivalent of the Auckland Domain) has now become a slip and slide safety hazard. As such we all retire to the Rangers Club, approx 1km further down the Maidan, to partake in a round of cokes and laughs.
5:10pm- We order up several crates of coke/sprite/fanta and transform the garden of the Rangers Club into our own. At this stage Mr Skeen raises his speed dating initiative as a possibility. It is met by little to no interest by both the AGS and Jungle Crow boys, which therefore encourages Mr Skeen to follow through with the original idea (never one to follow the crowd). The 'game' is one where mini groups from both sides meet and talk. From our perspective it was invaluable as our boys got to ask the locals about local issues, local customs, local pride. After 15 mins the groups changed around to meet new people with new perspectives/stories. In all it was envisaged that after 60 mins this interaction would be completed. Instead at 7:30pm Hamish Fox superbly thanked our new found friends after a series of speed dating rounds which proved to be a good idea after all (obviously it goes without saying that Miss Candy was not allowed to join in because she is a girl)
8:30pm- After walking past the hotel to freshen up we arrive at the venue of the evening's main meal. Jojos Restaurant, as per previous experiences this restaurant has zero patrons in it (kind of like the popularity one would find at a birthday for Ben Toogood). Therefore it made complete sense to the Editor that this was safe dining venue
8:45pm- After ordering the meals, Sam McConnell steps up as our first Expert in the Field. Sam delivers a very good talk on the history of Kolkata, touching on the present day vibe and distinctions the city has become known for
10pm- Dinner concludes with Callum Ross thanking the waiter for his fine establishment and for being so willing to accommodate our numbers on what was such a busy day for his business
10:15pm- Debrief starts with the focus being on what has changed in the last 24 hours. The boys speak of being more comfortable, yet no less frustrated by the events unfolding around them.
11pm- Lights Out

MVP/Thought- both covered in a prior blog


Wednesday 11 December

7am- Wake up occurs. That is 8.5 hrs for those who slept right through, which clearly didn't occur in Mr Jordan's case as he disappeared in the middle of the night to go partying (seriously, we are sharing a double bed and he didn't think I would know he had left the room . . . . some people!). What is undeniable is that all of the boys not surprisingly have much greater energy, especially both Hamish and Jonty who bounced back to good health as the bug comes and then goes from their respective bodies
7:30am- Breakfast back at Blue Sky Cafe with Sam the Head Waiter all ready outside the door to hug the crew as we walk in
9am- After another massive feed we head on a casual walk, which becomes a jog. Alex Krofcheck notes when the pace starts to increase that smoking and exercise should mix and that because he couldn't stop 'smoking' (breathing the Kolkata air in at that moment in time) it was better just to walk. With total disregard, the poorly behaved Skeen, demands more pace. Which does pay off, as we were tight on time
10:02am- We arrive at Freeset- a hugely impressive place/venture. We are generously welcomed by Dave, Ian, Mairi, Dan and Sam who take us on an informative, interactive and inspiring journey through the history of the organisation they find themselves working for in Kolkata. With 4 out of 5 of them being from NZ (yes the land of the long white cloud) we are immediately at home on the roof as they answer our questions with great honesty and passion. In short, Freeset provides employment opportunities to women who have decided to no longer be 'on the line' (involved in the sex trade/prostitution). What was expected to be a 15 minute Q&A lasts for 40 mins as we attempt to capture the depth of the problems and the attempts to solve them. Perfectly, when Dan is asked what will Freeset do into the future with such a significant problem (10000 are still on the line in the red light district of Kolkata- many having been kidnapped, or even sold into the trade by their own families), Dan simply responded 'What are you going to do?' Our boys find the tour and opportunity to purchase bags and t-shirts produced by the charity a real highlight. Sincerely we are in awe of Freeset and strongly urge you to pause now and go to www.freesetglobal.com to watch their promo video that will provide you with a great glimpse into what we saw today. Even buy their products to support Freedom!
12pm- Fletcher Boswell offers our thanks for the time afforded to us by the Freeset staff and we leave on a high about the power of people. Within one minute everyone is at rock bottom again. En route to the Metro station we can't escape the fact a young boys lies on the pavement, totally unresponsive to life, covered in flies around and in his mouth. The realities of this country just hurt
1pm- The Jungle Crows (a massive 20 of them) arrive at our hotel. There is excitement in the air as the respective groups are split into groups of 3-4 and sent off to adventure across Kolkata. The aim is simple- let the locals highlight the beauty of their city. Our boys visit a combination of the Howrah train station, Howrah Bridge, flower markets, Eden Garden (largest India cricket stadium for the uneducated); with most also catching a ferry. In all the boys are out for 4 hours doing what young people do- laughing, exploring, learning from their peers- very powerful stuff. Meanwhile the staff go off the beaten track, but up a track so to speak (a mountain in fact the size of Mt Eden). Sadly and shockingly it is the rubbish dump- an accumulation of the most recent 15 years of Kolkata/Howrah rubbish that is now as high as the iconic Mt Eden in Auckland. The smell is unbearable, the flies and pigs unmanageable, and the families still looking for a recyclable gem of a plastic bottle, metal scrap, etc is heartbreaking
5pm- Everyone returns from their own individual adventures to Hotel Emirates. Badges of the Grammar Lion are handed out as a memento to our Jungle Crow friends. It was at this point Hugo Stewart starts singing the record breaking single 'Roar' for the public audience
5:30pm- We all head down to Fairlawn Hotel. A venue that is so similar in this efficiency and service as the famous Faulty Towers series- it appears the wheels could fall off at any stage. Although Mr Skeen has brought in 45 customers he is still charged 250Rp ($5) to use the available internet. As a result he uses the waiting time to show each table on the iPad how Naf and Tudu, two key figures in the Jungle Crow Club's history, are about to become stars of a documentary/movie. Again I sincerely urge you to stop at this point and watch the two trailers regarding it- http://vimeo.com/32712267 and http://vimeo.com/65408406. I hope you agree that your son is going to be all the more richer for the time he has spent meeting people of this calibre
8pm- Dinner ends and it was a remarkably good meal. Paul Walsh as the elder statesman ordered on behalf of all of the tables and the tapa style affair (with a collection of curries and chow means on each table) goes down a treat. Reilly Hodson then smoothly rounds the night out by thanking our visitors for the opportunity to host them for a meal post their generosity shown during the afternoon
8:30pm-Tim Burns delivers an accurate account on the Expert in the Field topic of Christianity. In particular the focus on Mother Teresa is very well thought through
9pm- The groups head into debrief. It is an open floor tonight in each group ie no scripted question/focus but everyone wants to address the fact they witnessed death today in all its simplicity and disconnection from the living. Understandably the highs of the day pale in significance
10pm- Most of the students chill out on the deck of the Hotel, listening to the Tour playlist of 50 songs, rounding off the day on a very relaxing note
11pm- Lights Out for all but a couple of diary writers who are still trying to place the thoughts in their heads onto paper


So well done you Mr and Mrs Blog Reader in getting to this point. It has been a massive day and siting here now with the boys well and truly in dream world, it is great to reflect of a period of two days very well lived. The crazy thing is we are only just starting! I'm sure the boys will love the 7:30am wake up call as much as the horns that beep endlessly in this indescribable city. Furthermore, I'm very confident that you will enjoy their blogs that come through over the next day as time with be freed up for them to hit up the typing machines again. Until then, good night.

Ben


MVP- Chris Moses. This young man, woman, or a mix of both, is truly showing his real colours. His clothing purchases are all of the female variety however strangely they aren't in his bag as presents but rather on this body as some sort of fashion. He needs serious help.

Thought- we all want something to call ours. Our own toy tractor, or doll, or house, or place to call home. In Kolkata your 'Para' is your hood. On the back of a truck today was the phrase 'My India is Great'. Both got me thinking- Where is your place, your hood, somewhere that you belong? And, is it great?