Independence Day at Diocesan... pictures to come!

Note: As I mentioned in my "I'm back... again" post, I am still waiting on some pictures of my school's program. Definitely check back when they're up because the students and teachers put on a fantastic and beautiful performance. They'll be worth the wait!

From the moment I joined Diocesan, I was immersed in the Independence Day excitement. Since we're not full-time teachers, ETAs are left with a lot of downtime. Fortunately for me, the Independence Day program preparations didn't leave any time for a dull moment. Whenever I had a free period, or had an off, as the other teachers say, I would walk down to the giant field and watch the girls practice their dances, marching, and other performances. This was also great because I had a lot of time to talk with the students who were involved. When you're teaching classes of more than sixty five students, this time is precious. 

My friend, coordinating teacher, fellow teacher and me

Two weeks later, the day finally came. I went over to my friend Esha's house, a girl about my age who was teaching in place of a teacher on leave for a month, early in the morning so her mom could drape a sari on me. I told the teachers and students who asked that I wouldn't wear a sari as a surprise. Needless to say they were all so excited to see me wearing one. On Independence Day, teachers are supposed to wear white saris with orange borders. 

This is where all the performances took place.

My school's Independence Day performance was absolutely beautiful. The campus field transformed into a giant stage. The bamboo structures I had seen emerging around the field were now beautiful awnings covered in orange, yellow, and green fabric to protect spectators from the sun and possibly rain. Apparently it has rained every Independence Day for the past few years, but this never stops the performance. The girls rehearsed in the hot August heat and rain, and the performance would be no different. I had so much respect for these girls giving the rehearsals their all already, and I can't even describe how proud I was watching the actual performance. Pictures will come once I get the CD.

The girls' costumes were absolutely gorgeous. They were elaborately dressed, and their acting/marching/dancing matched it perfectly. There were certainly some mistakes during the rehearsals, but by this point, if there were any I didn't see them. By the end of the performance, I was so happy to be part of the Diocesan family.

A picture I managed to take of some of the students in costume.

Some of our little performers. They danced!

The marchers from my perspective. This is why I decided not to take photos myself and use the school's photographers' pictures instead. I'm sure they came out much nicer.

Simurali: First Trip Out of Kolkata!

Back in July, one of the Fulbright Researchers invited all five of us to accompany him to Simurali, a suburban town Kolkata. We were all excited because it was our first trip outside of Kolkata and our first experience using the trains. The trains were indeed an adventure. It was so crowded that most of us didn't get a seat. The experience would be much easier to handle now, but then it was pretty exhausting. Speaking as one of the women on the trip, I can say that at least for me, you're more aware of staring and leering on public transportation. My first experiences on the metro and the buses were a bit traumatizing for that reason, especially since you're essentially a sardine in a can, but that can is full of many, many men. Apparently there's a woman's car if I remember correctly, but we weren't on it. At some point, someone offered me half a seat. I honestly couldn't decide if the half seat was more comfortable than standing since I was struggling to avoid falling off the bench. Later when I was offered an "actual" seat between two people, I decided to leave the whole notion of "comfort" behind on the train. 

A picture from the rooftop.

When our stop came, we were greeted with something I think most of us had forgotten: fresh air. Kolkata, like many cities in and outside of India, is very polluted. However, Kolkata is notorious for it's pollution, so this was quite refreshing. We walked off of the platform and into this beautiful town. Kolkata has a lot of green for a city, but it obviously couldn't compare to this.

We arrived at the house the researcher and his crew were working with after a quick cha break. Tea is called cha in West Bengal. It's a bit different than the chai served in the rest of India. Personally, I think it tastes better, but perhaps I'm a bit biased.) The family was a pleasure to talk to and spend time with. We spent the whole day there. I hung out on the roof with some of the other Fulbrighters for the majority of the time. It was nice to be able to relax in the fresh air and nature surrounding us.

The train ride back was much more pleasant. It was far less crowded, and I was able to sit pretty close to the window. I saw the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in my life there. I didn't feel comfortable taking my camera out since I was surrounded by people, but maybe it's better that way. Some images are better kept as memories, and the picture would not have done it any justice. I was virtually every color behind silhouettes of villages, people, and different kinds of trees. Once the sun had set, a family with a small baby sat across from me. I played peek-a-boo with the baby for like an hour, so that was awesome. Her family was on board with it and thought it was sweet, which really added to it. The whole day was fantastic and full of many new experiences. 

First monkey sighting! It was on the move so I didn't have much time, but he's there alright.

Front entrance from the rooftop.

My first official cow picture in India! It took way too long for this to happen.

The first dog in India I pet! As a dog lover, this was hugely exciting

A cute little boy I met who lives across the road

One of many cow pictures that followed.

I love the use of bamboo in India.

Bamboo being used in construction.

The walk to and from the house was full of beautiful surprises, this lake being one!

On the walk back to the train.

Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk

Way back in early July in the beginning of our adventures in Kolkata, all of the ETAs were invited to march in Kolkata's Rainbow Pride Walk. The Pride Walk has been around in Kolkata for twelve years, and it's the oldest one in India. It serves as a protest to all forms of violence, including girls born or unborn, women of any sexual orientation, and any sexually marginalized people like trans men/women, gay/bisexual people, Hijras, and Kothis.

This was such an exciting experience to have in the beginning of our adventures in India for so many reasons. This was my, and I believe a majority of the ETAs' also, first pride march. I never would have guessed that my first march would have taken place in India! Also, it was so nice to be in such an accepting environment. Up until this point, we were used to being constantly stared at on the street. Any one of us would have merited a stare on his or her own, but put us all together and we're quite a sight. In the march, we were certainly stared at because of course we're foreigners, but it was less frequent and far less threatening. All of the people we talked to were nice and really interesting. We even managed to make some of our first local friends, besides our facilitators of course. (The ETAs in every city have a group of facilitators who help us get around and get things done. They helped us go apartment hunting, took us shopping for Indian dress the first time, etc. If you're a prospective ETA, rest assured that these guys are very helpful.)

It was still extremely hot in Kolkata, which I'm sure is apparent from the pictures featuring my extra layer of sweat, but it was absolutely worth it. This is still one of my favorite memories in Kolkata and was absolutely my favorite at the time. It was so exciting to see my new city come to life in a way I hadn't before. It was also one of the first times I felt completely comfortable surrounded by a bunch of strangers. If you're a prospective ETA coming to Kolkata, you must attend the next pride walk! It's only getting bigger, after all. 

Unfortunately blogspot isn't the greatest site for displaying many photographs in an aesthetically pleasing way, but I can display them larger this way. Here are some of my favorite photos I took for your viewing pleasure.

Me and another Fulbrighter who taught at Diocesan

Some nice guys with awesome face paint

The coolest umbrella I've ever seen.

Making new friends

In case you can't read: "Roses are red/ violets are blue/ homophones, can we vote on your civil rights too??"

This group put on a wedding ceremony during the walk. It received a lot of attention.

"I am out hence I am"

Two of the other ETAs and me close to the end of the march

Did I mention the Communist Rally the walk accidentally interrupted?

Dance party at the end of the walk

I'm back... again!

But, unlike last time, nothing directly prevented me from posting (in case you forgot, last time I went a while without posting it was because the dongle we use in Kolkata for internet access corrupted my hard drive and it took airtel, the service provider most of the Fulbrighters in India use, roughly a month to grant me internet access). This time I was waiting for my school to give me the CD with pictures from our Independence Day celebration to post. I said once I received the disk I would finally catch up on all the events that came to pass, but of course it's publication is running on India time. Now, I'm the only ETA in Kolkata and my weekend plans have been canceled because of my cold and newly sprained ankle, so I figure now's as good a time as any to catch up. This includes any looming e-mails that I may or may not have forgotten to answer.

A quick shout-out to my family and friends who read this blog, and an extra shout out to those of you who so thoughtfully reminded me that it's time to update it. Thanks!