Day 8
All's kool in Kolkata,
The 7 o'clock wake up call was a shock to our system as we had become accustomed to our one-day lie in. We staggered down dazed to have our usual toast and peanut butter (sorry Leah). The majority of us went for a nap after breakfast to re-energise. We set off for the metro at nine o'clock but were disappointed to find that the metro didn't operate until ten o'clock. With the help of our handy map we bought yesterday, we decided to trek our way to the Mother House, Mother Teresa's Home, where we got to see Mother Teresa's tomb, her preserved bedroom and the museum. Our total step count for the day reached 20,000 steps. We also spent some time in the gift shop buying multicoloured rosary beads and tacky Mother Teresa statues for our parents. Thankfully, we were able to get them blessed at her tomb. Throughout the thirty minutes we were in Mother Teresa's, we were attempting to come up with routes home that did not involve walking down open sewers or market streets. It was easy to find our way home due the Hansel and Gretel trickles of everyone's sweat.
By the time we got home for lunch, we were barely able to make it up the eight flights of stairs to our rooms. Once we finally made it up the stairs, we happily took our usual two hour siesta and had ice cold showers. We were reluctant to leave once again to face the thirty degree weather and two hour walk (thirty minutes). It was off to a bad start as four students got left behind, Lily, Molly, Rosa and Sarah L. Amazingly, the walk wasn't as bad as we had anticipated and we finally arrived at our destination, the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage. We split ourselves into two groups, one group to play with the special needs children, the others with the malnourished. We were nervous at first but soon became at ease with the children as they were delighted to see us and we spent an hour playing and feeding them their dinner. We all found our one true love and were ready to bring them home with us. We considered how many children we could fit in our suitcases! We walked home with melted hearts and nothing could explain our excitement when we came across the bakery, Mio Amore, the Kolkata famous cake shop. A lucky trio traipsed in with Therese while the others sauntered home. The three were under a lot of pressure selecting the cakes but they did very well and it all lived up to the expectations.
We are a bit apprehensive about our 04.45 wake up call tomorrow morning for our morning Mass at the Mother House. All will be revealed tomorrow... T-3 days until we're home.
Good bye for now,
Niamh, Lily, Grainne, Molly and Sarah L.
All's kool in Kolkata,
The 7 o'clock wake up call was a shock to our system as we had become accustomed to our one-day lie in. We staggered down dazed to have our usual toast and peanut butter (sorry Leah). The majority of us went for a nap after breakfast to re-energise. We set off for the metro at nine o'clock but were disappointed to find that the metro didn't operate until ten o'clock. With the help of our handy map we bought yesterday, we decided to trek our way to the Mother House, Mother Teresa's Home, where we got to see Mother Teresa's tomb, her preserved bedroom and the museum. Our total step count for the day reached 20,000 steps. We also spent some time in the gift shop buying multicoloured rosary beads and tacky Mother Teresa statues for our parents. Thankfully, we were able to get them blessed at her tomb. Throughout the thirty minutes we were in Mother Teresa's, we were attempting to come up with routes home that did not involve walking down open sewers or market streets. It was easy to find our way home due the Hansel and Gretel trickles of everyone's sweat.
By the time we got home for lunch, we were barely able to make it up the eight flights of stairs to our rooms. Once we finally made it up the stairs, we happily took our usual two hour siesta and had ice cold showers. We were reluctant to leave once again to face the thirty degree weather and two hour walk (thirty minutes). It was off to a bad start as four students got left behind, Lily, Molly, Rosa and Sarah L. Amazingly, the walk wasn't as bad as we had anticipated and we finally arrived at our destination, the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage. We split ourselves into two groups, one group to play with the special needs children, the others with the malnourished. We were nervous at first but soon became at ease with the children as they were delighted to see us and we spent an hour playing and feeding them their dinner. We all found our one true love and were ready to bring them home with us. We considered how many children we could fit in our suitcases! We walked home with melted hearts and nothing could explain our excitement when we came across the bakery, Mio Amore, the Kolkata famous cake shop. A lucky trio traipsed in with Therese while the others sauntered home. The three were under a lot of pressure selecting the cakes but they did very well and it all lived up to the expectations.
We are a bit apprehensive about our 04.45 wake up call tomorrow morning for our morning Mass at the Mother House. All will be revealed tomorrow... T-3 days until we're home.
Good bye for now,
Niamh, Lily, Grainne, Molly and Sarah L.
Wow!that was a very busy day,but worth all the walking to visit the Mother house.I am sure your visit to the orphanage was a bit emotional for you all ,but am sure the children really enjoyed your visit.Get a good nights sleep for your early start tomorrow.Enjoy the cakes!Looking forward to your news tomorrow.Jackie.xxx
ReplyDeleteGreetings from a very mild but windy day here in Dublin. Your blog is absolutely wonderful - we read it with First and Second years last week, and of course your loyal fans in Fifth Year! Your candle has been lit each day and prayers said for you all. We are very proud of how you are engaging with every opportunity given, and how empathetic your accounts are of the different groups you are meeting. You have brought back for me so many memories of life in Calcutta with all its beauty and challenges; I have no doubt you have made a lasting impact on everyone you meet, and know that they are, most definitely, a blessing to you also. These last few days will also be a whirlwind of experiences, so enjoy every moment. The photos of the Irish in India have definitely left us wanting to see more, so we are looking forward to hearing all your stories next week. Travel safely, Mrs Moiselle.
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