(Posted on September 2, 2010)
In exactly one week from today, the next phase of our Team India 8 experience will begin with flights to Kolkata, India. Over the past two and a half months, our team of 10 IBMers has been focused on preparation, team building, and getting ready for our in country assignments. There is a lot of work yet to do before September 9th, and I know it will be here very quickly. Fortunately, all of the logistical tasks have been completed and it is time to figure out how and what to pack for a climate and country I have not experienced. I have no idea what to expect!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
12 hour countdown until 40 hours of travel to Kolkata
(Posted on September 8, 2010)
In less than 12 hours I will be departing for 40 hours of travel to Kolkata, India. Some of the other members of our India 8 team have already left. When I step on the Emirates flight from Los Angeles Thursday afternoon, I won't be getting off the plane until landing in Dubai on Friday night. After that 16 hour flight, the journey is still not complete. Fortunately, three other team members will also be connecting in Dubai from Argentina, France, and Germany. It will be nice to meet up with them after almost three months of conference calls and preparaton. We will meet the other 6 members of our team in Kolkata on Saturday morning. I am still wondering if I will be awake and alert, or half asleep after I get there. My Emirates flight will have close to 1200 in-seat channels of video....it may take 16 hours just to decide what to watch!
In less than 12 hours I will be departing for 40 hours of travel to Kolkata, India. Some of the other members of our India 8 team have already left. When I step on the Emirates flight from Los Angeles Thursday afternoon, I won't be getting off the plane until landing in Dubai on Friday night. After that 16 hour flight, the journey is still not complete. Fortunately, three other team members will also be connecting in Dubai from Argentina, France, and Germany. It will be nice to meet up with them after almost three months of conference calls and preparaton. We will meet the other 6 members of our team in Kolkata on Saturday morning. I am still wondering if I will be awake and alert, or half asleep after I get there. My Emirates flight will have close to 1200 in-seat channels of video....it may take 16 hours just to decide what to watch!
Feeling like I am part of the "Amazing Race"
(Posted on September 9, 2010)
I started my journey today to Los Angeles to connect with my flight to Dubai. I landed at LAX at 10am, yet my connection on Emirates was not until 4:45pm. I collected my checked bag and made my way from United terminal 7 to the international terminal. When I got there I found out that the Emirates ticket counter doesn't open until 1pm. I felt like I was in the amazing race - camped out in front of the empty ticket counter first in line. Around noon, they started setting up the retractable lanes and the economy line quickly formed behind me. The people behind me were from Santa Barbara, CA on their way to Ethiopia to adopt a 5 month baby boy.
When I stepped up to the ticket counter to check in, I was told that my normal carry on rollerbag was double the allowed weight and too large for their sizing unit. This is the same carry on I take back and forth across the US every week. I asked about upgrading to business class, but the charge was $2,000-$3,000 for the flight. Ugh. I quickly grabbed a change of clothes, toothbrush and razor and checked my trusty carry-on. At least now I am traveling very light. Hopefully both bags will be waiting for me at baggage claim in Kolkata Saturday morning!
After check in I made my way to the Delta terminal so I could use the Skyclub lounge, as this will be the last bit of solace before I get to the hotel in India.
This is definitely not the Hilton....
(Posted on September 11, 2010)
Saturday morning after arriving at the Kolkata airport, we were met by a driver to take us to the hotel in the Ballygunge area. The drive took approximately an hour and it was quite an experience. There is no sense of driving laws on these roads, other than to make a best effort to stay on the correct side of the road, which would be the left. The dotted lines for the lanes could be interpreted as lane dividers in most other places, but here it is ok to drive down the middle of the dotted lines while swerving around other cars, auto rickshaws, and the occasional cow or two. When someone blows their horn, you don't take it personally, you just blow your horn just as unneccisarily. This occurs all day and night. As one of my guide books stated, the people here blow their horns just to let you know they are there. For all the horn blowing, no one seems to be getting upset or angry about it, as they would be elsewhere.
After driving from the airport through different parts of the city, we got an interesting look at buildings in various stages of construction with scaffolding that appears to be put together with bamboo and twine. The slums on the sides of the road were devastating, yet the people that were just hanging out on the sides of the street didn't have any kind of urgency or place to be. They were merely talking amongst them selves, giving hugs and enjoying each other's company.
When we arrived at the hotel, we waited in the car until the driver verified we were at the right place and the security guards inside the fence opened the gate. The rooms are very basic, yet comparing the building to those around us, it is much newer. I found out at a party they had for us Saturday night, that the building was turned into a hotel with 20 rooms about 1.5 years ago.
My room is on the first floor (second actually) in the corner of the hotel. With windows on two sides, I get to see and hear the people and traffic (along with the car and bicycle horns) converging from two directions. There is a jewelry shop or kiosk directly below my window on the ground level which is a hub for some of the locals hanging out on the sidewalk with nonstop chatter, yells, and whatever. I don't think I will need my alarm clock as the constant flow of activity outside my windows will take care of that.
The team of 10 of us took a walk around the area last night and found the streets to be filled with people, many celebrating the end of Ramadan. While we clearly garnered stares from the locals, no one approached us.
Here are a couple pictures I just took outside my bedroom window. People washing their dishes in the curb. After seeing another woman squat down next to the sidewalk, I wondered why she didn't have any dishes to wash. After she got up a minute later and walked away, I realized she wasn't there to wash dishes. Yet this was only a few feet from the other woman....
Administering to the Homeless Mentally Ill - Giving a Voice to Those Who Lost Their Own
(Posted on September 15, 2010)
You pass them on the street. You see them around the different transit stations. You drive past their homes on the side of the road and look the other way. They come up to you asking for food or money. They have family or friends nearby living in a similar condition. They are in dire need of assistance. Yet, these people are ok.
Maybe a bit hungry with visible signs of malnutrition, they have a place to call home. They know who they are and where they are from. They have somebody else to help look after them. While they may live in a slum, they have shelter - a roof over their head.
Can you imagine anything lower than this? Most of us can't, at least I couldn't until I met Sarbani Das Roy and her small, highly dedicated team at Iswar Sankalpa and actually visited some of these people over the past few days. They are homeless. They are both women and men. They don't know where they are from. They don't know who they are. They don't know what language they are speaking. They don't know how they ended up in Kolkata. A couple of the women don't even know they are pregnant, yet are just a few months from giving birth.
They are not retarded. Most don't show many outwardly physical signs of illness. They have a mental disorder, classified as schizophrenia, and can usually be treated with medication, if the doctor or social worker can get them to take it.
Over the past two days, my IBM teammate Minke (from Holland) and I tagged along with Iswar Sankalpa staff to visit and administer to some of these people. At times it was difficult to see, as these are people you typically look away from. On Tuesday we went with two social workers and a doctor to the Sealdah Train Station in Central Kolkata. We started in a grassy and muddy area a bit away from the station, but very close to the train tracks where a few of the patients live. These were not slums, as there was no real roof or sense of community. One man was angry because the social worker did not visit him over the weekend, even though she is there Monday through Friday. Another woman was previously helped, but left after she started getting better and therefore stopped taking medication, only to return to the station in a state like before. She was hungry but would not talk or let the social worker help her. After being offered a plastic bag of warm rice, sauce and vegetables, she grabbed it quickly and ran down the train platform. Later we would catch up to her as she sat on the ground eating quickly; and not knowing that in her specific bag of food was medicine that will help her get better again with hopes that she would let the doctor help her. Some of the patients easily allowed the doctor to take their blood pressure and had no issue taking the medicine that was given to them. Others were more stubborn and withdrawn. Some were offered the opportunity to go to the shelter, but they refused. They like the freedom and independence that the train station and surrounding area provided them. This was their "home".
Iswar Sankalpa works very hard to help the mental state of these people. It offers the women a place to spend the night or many nights, if they are willing, while the team tries to locate their families so they may go home. The men can go to a day shelter at the Hastings Police Station, also known as the drop in center. If someone requires additional medical attention, they are taken to a local hospital and followed up on even after they are discharged, so the team can still try to help them find their home.
Iswar Sankalpa doesn't force anyone to do anything they don't want to do. They spend weeks and months visiting the patients and offers them choices of going to the shelter, or letting the doctor examine them, even where they live on the street, as we did on Tuesday.
A small crowd usually formed whenever we stopped to help a patient or when Dr. Mukherjee was taking their blood pressure. It would be my hope that in some way these bystanders would start to take notice of the homeless mentally ill sitting nearby them and perhaps look at them in a slightly different way.
A Place to Spend the Night in Kolkata
(Posted on September 20, 2010)
Driving down the dirt road leading up to a building complex, which appeared to be an abandonded hospital or medical center, I started to feel a bit of anxiety not knowing what we were about to encounter. There were a few very large, run-down buildings surrounded by a high concrete fence. A five story concrete building next door looked as if it was going to fall down, and I would never believe that people lived there had it not been for the laundry hanging out of the windows. The Iswar Sankalpa sign above the door to one of the entrances of the medical-looking buildings told us we were at the right place. As my IBM teammate, Minke and I approached the gated entrance, security guards inside had to unlock it to let us in.
We had just entered the Iswar Sankalpa woman's night shelter. The very first shelter in all of Kolkata.
The buildings were government buildings, part of either the current or former Urban Health Center. The section which housed the shelter had been vacant for several years and the government leased it to Iswar Sankalpa for less than 100 rupees ($2.00 USD) per year. It is a perfect space for a shelter, and a very secure environment for women who are either homeless and/or have a mental illness. The area is comprised of several rooms, although one of the two main rooms are used for crafts and vocational activities, while the other is the sleeping area and for group therapy sessions. The interior, much like the exterior, is very industrial with concrete floors and walls, high ceilings, and of course, no air conditioning. There is a kitchen where the women help prepare the meals, and a staff office with a hanging sheet used in place of a door. The office was a former medical registration area, as there are large glass windows which allows the staff to see everything in one of the large rooms, while the patients can also watch the staff perform their work. This is the area we work in while visiting the shelter and creating the new database system.
Once we walked inside, I immediately felt an energy by the activities that were taking place. A group of young boys dressed in school clothes were making candles in a corner. Next to them was a stack of shopping bags handmade with newspaper, as well as painted artwork being prepared to become the cover of greeting cards, of which the local government has placed an order for 400. Women were moving about, some doing their chores, others coming up to welcome us. The shelter currently has twenty five women staying there. Two are preparing to return home to their families in the coming days and weeks. A few others have recently arrived and are more reserved and withdrawn, not yet sure if they like the confines of their new surroundings. And yet, others have been there since the shelter opened six months ago and don't see any sign of leaving anytime soon. Either their family cannot be located, or their family cannot take care of them with the current mental disorder that they have. Some do not speak the local language, so while they talk, they cannot be understood. They have obviously traveled far and ended up in Kolkata, which may or may not be foreign to them.
As we walked around the rooms, you could see and feel their eyes watching us, the visitors; the foreigners. But once I stopped and looked into their eyes and face, I could see so much more.
Each of these women have their own history. They came from someplace; some much farther than others. Some of them so desperately want to talk to us, but the language barrier between Bengali and English makes it imposible, so you have to rely on hand gestures to try to get just a little part of what they are telling you. Of course a few staff members could translate, but by the time you could call them over, the moment would have passed.
For the most part, the women look happy there. They have a clean place to live, food to eat, and basic medical care to help them get better so they can hopefully make their way home. The chores that each is given, provides them with a sense of purpose. Watching lunch being prepared, it appeared that everyone knew what they needed to do, as this has become part of their daily routine. After lunch, the women would take a nap. Each one has their own space in a large multi-purpose room. The women sleep on the floor, as there is no extra money to buy a simple $25.00 cot that could be set up and taken down with ease. I hated to see them sleeping on the hard floor, because I know it couldn't be as comfortable as they were making it appear. They do have sleeping bags, but none were used during the mid day siesta. I asked one of the social workers about the cots and whether any of the women would use them. I was told that some probably would, while others wouldn't, but it would be really nice to be able to give them the option.
At other times throughout the day, the women attend various therapy classes, usually performed in a circle in the multi-purpose/sleeping room. Minke participated in the exercise therapy consisting of jumping up and down and moving about. (Some women were much more enthusiastic about this than others) We also watched a dance therapy session, which many women really enjoyed.
During a visit a couple days later, Minke and I participated in a general therapy session where they went around the circle telling us their names, and were eager for us to ask them questions. I asked a few basic questions such as what they had for lunch, and what was their favorite activity. One of the ladies stated in Bengali that they really enjoyed having us there. A few songs were sung by various women before they told us that they wanted Minke and I to sing for them. Being put on the spot, I drew a blank for the words to any song. Since none of them could understand English, I thought I could get away with "Happy Birthday". When I finished, to my surprise, one of the women (who they know is from Bangladesh) told the social worker that the song was a party song and usually sung when you cut the cake. I was completely taken aback. I did not expect any of them in that particular setting to understand the song, even though the tune was universal it didn't translate the same to Bengali. None of the other women appeared to recognize it, even though they attempted to clap to the beat.
That particular moment had a strong impact on me. It made me stop and realize, yet again, that each of these homeless mentally ill women have a history. They came from someplace. They have a family. They had a childhood. They had a life full of experiences and yet somehow they ended up here, at the Iswar Sankalpa night shelter. They are getting help so that they can remember, something, anything, to enable them to find their way home.
Too busy to write!
(posted on October 7, 2010)
Wow - can it already be the last two days of this CSC experience in Kolkata?? I don't understand how that is possible, since it feels like we just got here. The majority of my time has been working on the primary deliverables for the client, Iswar Sankalpa. After a number of modifications and testing, the online database that we created was successfully turned over. We had a train the trainer session with Samata, followed a couple days later with a session for the social workers which Samata led. The feedback was very positive and I believe they now have the skill to create additional applications using the tool. We spent the better part of the last week and a half compiling data from lengthy questionaires that the board members and social workers completed. The outcome led to the creation of the detailed strategic plan for the organization, which was well received.
On Saturday, September 25th, the CSC India 8 team visited the IBM Kolkata office to participate in the Computer Literacy Program that the local office holds weekly for about 40 children from several NGO's. The kids from each of the groups put on great performances showcasing the local music including some in traditional West Bengal clothes. At the end of the program we asked one of the groups to teach us their dance to a popular song, Bum Bum Bolle from the movie Tara Zameen Paar. It was a lot of fun.
Last weekend we took a bus ride to Shantiniketan, the location of a university started by the famous poet Tagore. Much of the learning is done outside under the trees. While we visited, I couldn't understand why one class was shaking the branches of one tree, although we weren't allowed to get closer to find out. Other classes consisting of a handful of students were scattered here and there. A few people were even drawing the trees. We toured the museum as well as walked around the outside of Tagore's home, and that of the summer cottage where Ghandi would stay when visiting. We also visited a couple other towns, Bishnupur and Durga Pur, where we saw a few clay temples (now used as monuments) and a small shop where they were making silk products like scarves and sarees. We stayed at a hotel called Mark and Meadows where IBM teammate Melanie from North Carolina, reigned as the queen of ping pong. We saw a traditional Indian or West Bengali dance being performed outside, and I had a great pineapple chicken dinner followed by ice cream.
This week, the last week, I was fortunate to attend two other NGO projects where other IBM teammates were working. On Monday I visited a morning assembly at a school called Future Hope, where Lloyd and Melanie worked. The school is for street children who don't have families and they live at the school. There were about 200 students in uniform, and it was awesome to see them sing songs in English, in addition to saying the Indian national anthem. By looking at them, you would never know that they used to live on the street. Framed artwork hung on the walls, and while some looked professional, they were all done by current or former students. Yesterday we attended another NGO that Arlene and Joerg were working with called the Calcutta Social Project. This organization teaches school in slum areas in addition to having one shelter where a large number of kids live. We visited the house and had a great time playing with the kids, blowing up balloons, eating lollipops, and spending time talking to a couple of the directors to understand the needs and goals of the organization. I had so many ideas for the building and program that I wish I had the time to visit earlier in the month.
Lastly, for my client, Iswar Sankalpa, we were able to visit the men's Drop In Center at the Hastings Police Station. It is a little different from the women's night shelter in that men are able to go for the day, after they are picked up by ambulance (like a schoolbus!) from where they live on the street, and get a decent shower and meal, but cannot spend the night. When we visited shortly after lunch, the 8 men were just hanging out. One sang a couple songs for everyone, and was also the arm wrestling champ. After watching him put away a couple of the other guys, I felt up to the challenge, but even though I held out the longest, I was not victorious. Maybe on the next visit! At the end of the day, the ambulance takes the men back to their "home" on the street. While more men have been returned home than women, others do not know where they are from, or do not want to go home. Iswar Sankalpa continues to work with these men to provide medicine and help them with vocational training and in other areas to help them live a better life.
Today we are bringing a few teammates to the women's night shelter where we will say goodbye to our client and wonderful friends we have made working with Iswar Sankalpa.
Stay tuned!
The Value of a Dollar
(posted on October 12, 2010)
Taxis in Kolkata are as common as the auto rickshaws. The streets are filled with the yellow Ambassador vehicle, which is a wonder in itself how they are still running after more than 40 years in service. Unlike taxis in New York City and other big cities, the typical fare is extremely low - not much more than $2.00-$4.00 USD per trip. In Indian rupees, however, the cost seems much higher simply based on the number of 50 or 100 rupees. Many times the drivers will use a meter, but other times they try to negotiate a fixed rate. If you know where you are going, this could be to your benefit since the traffic in the city is so bad that the taxis are usually sitting in traffic (with their engines turned off) and the meter would continue to run. Most taxi drivers speak little english, so it is quite an amazing accomplishment that we were able to get where we actually wanted to go as often as we did.
On Friday night, September 24th, our IBM team decided to go to the Hyatt Regency for a special dinner (4 or 5 course meal with 4 glasses of wine from different areas of France). Since there were 8 of us, we needed two taxis. After walking out of the hotel and down the street, I approached a taxi who just dropped someone off. I informed the driver of our destination, and he appeared not to know what I was talking about. The people that just exited the taxi also told him for us, but while I wasn't sure he knew where to go, he said 150. With the price set, 4 of us got in and started our journey. I was sitting in the front seat, the other three were in the back. I repeated our destination, but still wasn't convinced that the old man knew were to go.
A block down the road the driver pulled over next to a group of people waiting for the bus and I asked if they could tell the driver where the Hyatt was located. They said something in Bengali and the driver pulled away with a growl. He then looked at me and growled "200!" since it must have been farther than he originally thought. I tried to explain to him that he already told us 150 and that was the price, but he kept repeating "200!" Not wanting to argue with him anymore I just kept silent and watched the traffic as we meandered through the narrow and bumpy streets.
After we finally got on the highway I said "Hyatt Regency" once again and he just looked at me with a mean, blank stare. I had no idea if he really knew where we were going. As we approached the ITC Sonar hotel, he slowed down, but I informed him that we didn't want the ITC, but the Hyatt Regency. He sped up and continued driving. Trying to be resourceful, I typed Hyatt Regency into my cell phone and showed it to him. It took a minute for him to get his glasses out of the case. After he finally put them on and looked at the words, he made some kind of snarl and just stared at me. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me because he thought I was stupid for repeating the same place over and over, or because he wanted me to give him more information.
A short while later we turned off the highway and he pointed to the building on the right side of the street with the big Hyatt logo lit up. I was happy that we found it, but then wondered if he knew where it was all along. Once we pulled in, the security guards had to check the car for bombs which required the driver to get out and open the hood and trunk. This clearly annoyed the driver and after he got back in the car he said "bomb" and made a motion with his hands, as if the security guards were crazy for thinking that this grouchy old man would have a bomb in his car!
As we made our way to the entrance, we had to climb a pretty steep drive with speed bumps. I thought we were going to have to get out and push the car up the hill, since it had a very hard time making it on it's own. Once we got to the entrance, the 4 of us were very happy that we had made it. During the beginning of our trip, I was advised by a couple teammates that this driver didn't know where he was going and to get out and find another taxi.
I slapped two 100 rupee bills on the seat next to the driver and proceeded to get out of the car. Apparently, the driver didn't think we were done negotiating the fare and thought I was going to give 150. As I was getting out, he shook my hand and gave me a really big smile. He then held up the money in his right hand and let out a big laugh, as if he got one over on us. He looked so happy that I couldn't believe this was the same driver who picked us up 30 minutes earlier.
I wish I had a photo of our taxi driver, but even though I don't, I know I will never forget that excited look in his face. Instead of paying 150 rupees, we paid 200 and made this man's night. I would be more than happy to do it again, because $1.00 US Dollar is equivelent to approximately 45 rupees. Instead of paying $3.00 USD for the 30-40 minute taxi ride, we paid $4.00.
The value of one dollar - priceless in Kolkata.
It's Not Goodbye, It's 'See You Later....'
(posted October 12, 2010)
How fast time flies. Before embarking on this journey to Kolkata, India, I spent a few days in Maui, Hawaii. I sat on the beach staring at the sea, cleared my head, and tried to get mentally prepared for what I was about to encounter. I would be leaving for a month to India, a place I had never visited; a culture I had never experienced. I only knew that I would be traveling with 9 other IBMers from 7 different countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, and the USA). I would be working with a NGO (Non Government Organization or Non-Profit) called Iswar Sankalpa, whose mission was to help the homeless mentally ill. I had no way to prepare for this, but tried the best that I could.
From the moment I landed in Dubai and met up with three other teammates from Argentina, France and Germany who were on the same connecting flight, I knew that the following weeks would be eye-opening, emotional, and life changing. Just how, I did not know.
During the drive from the Kolkata airport to the hotel, I saw such a contrast of images. From new construction to slums; people being driven in nice cars to others being pulled in a rickshaw; modern buildings to people sleeping on the sides of the road. Some were images I have only seen on television where they are asking for money to sponsor a child. Now I was in the middle of it all.
I was fortunate to be assigned to work with a wonderful NGO whose small staff are among the most dedicated and devoted I have ever seen or read about. Watching them work with the homeless at the women's shelter, in the field at the train station, and the men's drop in center, was amazing. They worked with and treated the patients as if they were family. The co-founder/chairwoman/secretary, Sarbani Das Roy, is an extraordinary woman, a true humanitarian and teacher of psychology. She has so many inspiring stories which I have asked her to start writing down as they show her tenacity, dedication, and relentless pursuit in helping the less fortunate, that others would benefit just by reading them. I will not forget our many conversations which usually turned into some type of psychology lesson, including how in unreason there is reason.
Thank you to the staff for the book "Gitanjali" by the poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Being able to see his homes, museum, and university in Shantiniketan helped make it much more special. I am glad that I was able to attend the Calcutta Inner City Rotary Club meeting on the last Friday and be there for the award Sarbani received.
After arriving at the office each day, Arnab was always there to greet us with a big smile. He would offer us tea with milk, and it would be served in a very small, single use clay cup. I would often joke that the tea was my medicine and I was really the patient; the one sent to Kolkata so while I thought I was helping others, in fact they were the ones helping me. I will miss the chicken momo (chicken dumplings) and soup that we would get from the street vendor, and only wish that I would have tried it sooner as I enjoyed our walks down the busy sidewalk.
We were able to stay on target with the online database system and strategic plan, thanks to Samata. Even though she teaches and works at the college six days per week, she still has the time, energy, and devotion to work with Iswar Sankalpa, as well as the two IBMers who suddenly showed up at the doorstep. Being able to learn the system quickly and train the social workers was a huge help, as was translating all of the lengthy questionnaires that we were able to then compile into the strategic plan. I will have to take a raincheck on the auto rickshaw ride, and will plan to do that next time.
I enjoyed the visits to the shelter, train station, and drop in center, where I got to watch the staff interact and work with the patients. I learned so much from our conversations, even though at times they probably felt like interviews. Participating in the therapy sessions at the night shelter was a lot of fun and I promise to be ready with new songs next time. I will also be training in order to beat Junee (sp?) at arm wrestling during the next visit to the men's drop in center. As Dr. Mukherjee said in the office, we won't say goodbye, but "see you later".
Being paired with a great IBM teammate surely helped make this a good experience. Thanks Minke, from Holland, Netherlands, and Amsterdam, for not cancelling your trip due to fears of tackling the unknown that was Iswar Sankalpa and the work they perform. We worked well together and balanced each other with the technical and non-technical parts of the project, and had fun along the way. I hope you find your calling and let your positive energy and attitude touch more people.
If there is one way to describe living in the hotel/guest house for 30 days with 9 other people (along with staff and a few random hotel guests) it would be a combination of "Big Brother" and "The Amazing Race". Aside from being able to leave, the only thing missing were television cameras and reality tv show producers. Had they been there, I am sure our ratings would have been spectacular.
In addition to learning and adjusting to the culture in India, we had to learn how to interact and work with 7 different cultures on a daily basis. While team projects took precedence, we still managed to have a lot of fun. There were moments of frustration and lack of communication, as well as taking forever to decide on where to go for dinner, but that is understandable with such a diverse group. Should any of us get the opportunity to be on "The Amazing Race", we will be well prepared to reach each destination quickly thanks to the crazy taxi rides and being able to communicate with the drivers using as few English words as possible. When we finally found live music at the Calcutta Cricket Club and Roxy nightclub, it didn't matter that it was always 80's night; we knew how to have fun and I am sure my fiancee will appreciate the free Argentine and French dance lessons I received. I will never forget celebrating my 37th birthday at the hotel rooftop terrace with the whole team. It was very special to me.
As a team, and individually, we've come a long way in such a few short weeks. Being the last to leave the hotel on Friday night, October 8th, I took a final walk around remembering our experience. The hotel felt different; the energy which we brought, was gone. It will now be relived through the photos and movies.
While waiting for my flight to depart from the Kolkata airport, I began to read some of the Tagore poems in Gitanjali. I was ready to leave as our tasks had been accomplished. I flew to Dubai where I would spend a few days getting a small glimpse of yet another culture. This one was 180 degrees different from that of Kolkata. In the span of one week I have seen the poorest of the poor, and observed things from the richest of the rich. I would sit on the hot sand and try to make sense of everything I just experienced; hoping I can share it with others the best I can.
And so my journey ends, as it began, staring out into the sea.
How fast time flies. Before embarking on this journey to Kolkata, India, I spent a few days in Maui, Hawaii. I sat on the beach staring at the sea, cleared my head, and tried to get mentally prepared for what I was about to encounter. I would be leaving for a month to India, a place I had never visited; a culture I had never experienced. I only knew that I would be traveling with 9 other IBMers from 7 different countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, and the USA). I would be working with a NGO (Non Government Organization or Non-Profit) called Iswar Sankalpa, whose mission was to help the homeless mentally ill. I had no way to prepare for this, but tried the best that I could.
From the moment I landed in Dubai and met up with three other teammates from Argentina, France and Germany who were on the same connecting flight, I knew that the following weeks would be eye-opening, emotional, and life changing. Just how, I did not know.
During the drive from the Kolkata airport to the hotel, I saw such a contrast of images. From new construction to slums; people being driven in nice cars to others being pulled in a rickshaw; modern buildings to people sleeping on the sides of the road. Some were images I have only seen on television where they are asking for money to sponsor a child. Now I was in the middle of it all.
I was fortunate to be assigned to work with a wonderful NGO whose small staff are among the most dedicated and devoted I have ever seen or read about. Watching them work with the homeless at the women's shelter, in the field at the train station, and the men's drop in center, was amazing. They worked with and treated the patients as if they were family. The co-founder/chairwoman/secretary, Sarbani Das Roy, is an extraordinary woman, a true humanitarian and teacher of psychology. She has so many inspiring stories which I have asked her to start writing down as they show her tenacity, dedication, and relentless pursuit in helping the less fortunate, that others would benefit just by reading them. I will not forget our many conversations which usually turned into some type of psychology lesson, including how in unreason there is reason.
Thank you to the staff for the book "Gitanjali" by the poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Being able to see his homes, museum, and university in Shantiniketan helped make it much more special. I am glad that I was able to attend the Calcutta Inner City Rotary Club meeting on the last Friday and be there for the award Sarbani received.
After arriving at the office each day, Arnab was always there to greet us with a big smile. He would offer us tea with milk, and it would be served in a very small, single use clay cup. I would often joke that the tea was my medicine and I was really the patient; the one sent to Kolkata so while I thought I was helping others, in fact they were the ones helping me. I will miss the chicken momo (chicken dumplings) and soup that we would get from the street vendor, and only wish that I would have tried it sooner as I enjoyed our walks down the busy sidewalk.
We were able to stay on target with the online database system and strategic plan, thanks to Samata. Even though she teaches and works at the college six days per week, she still has the time, energy, and devotion to work with Iswar Sankalpa, as well as the two IBMers who suddenly showed up at the doorstep. Being able to learn the system quickly and train the social workers was a huge help, as was translating all of the lengthy questionnaires that we were able to then compile into the strategic plan. I will have to take a raincheck on the auto rickshaw ride, and will plan to do that next time.
I enjoyed the visits to the shelter, train station, and drop in center, where I got to watch the staff interact and work with the patients. I learned so much from our conversations, even though at times they probably felt like interviews. Participating in the therapy sessions at the night shelter was a lot of fun and I promise to be ready with new songs next time. I will also be training in order to beat Junee (sp?) at arm wrestling during the next visit to the men's drop in center. As Dr. Mukherjee said in the office, we won't say goodbye, but "see you later".
Being paired with a great IBM teammate surely helped make this a good experience. Thanks Minke, from Holland, Netherlands, and Amsterdam, for not cancelling your trip due to fears of tackling the unknown that was Iswar Sankalpa and the work they perform. We worked well together and balanced each other with the technical and non-technical parts of the project, and had fun along the way. I hope you find your calling and let your positive energy and attitude touch more people.
If there is one way to describe living in the hotel/guest house for 30 days with 9 other people (along with staff and a few random hotel guests) it would be a combination of "Big Brother" and "The Amazing Race". Aside from being able to leave, the only thing missing were television cameras and reality tv show producers. Had they been there, I am sure our ratings would have been spectacular.
In addition to learning and adjusting to the culture in India, we had to learn how to interact and work with 7 different cultures on a daily basis. While team projects took precedence, we still managed to have a lot of fun. There were moments of frustration and lack of communication, as well as taking forever to decide on where to go for dinner, but that is understandable with such a diverse group. Should any of us get the opportunity to be on "The Amazing Race", we will be well prepared to reach each destination quickly thanks to the crazy taxi rides and being able to communicate with the drivers using as few English words as possible. When we finally found live music at the Calcutta Cricket Club and Roxy nightclub, it didn't matter that it was always 80's night; we knew how to have fun and I am sure my fiancee will appreciate the free Argentine and French dance lessons I received. I will never forget celebrating my 37th birthday at the hotel rooftop terrace with the whole team. It was very special to me.
As a team, and individually, we've come a long way in such a few short weeks. Being the last to leave the hotel on Friday night, October 8th, I took a final walk around remembering our experience. The hotel felt different; the energy which we brought, was gone. It will now be relived through the photos and movies.
While waiting for my flight to depart from the Kolkata airport, I began to read some of the Tagore poems in Gitanjali. I was ready to leave as our tasks had been accomplished. I flew to Dubai where I would spend a few days getting a small glimpse of yet another culture. This one was 180 degrees different from that of Kolkata. In the span of one week I have seen the poorest of the poor, and observed things from the richest of the rich. I would sit on the hot sand and try to make sense of everything I just experienced; hoping I can share it with others the best I can.
And so my journey ends, as it began, staring out into the sea.
Iswar Sankalpa Team
Sarbani Das Roy
Arnab and John Getting Chicken Momo from a Street Vendor
Sarbani and Samata
#ibmcsc
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