Thank you, Asia "India on my Heart" (28 days until Green Bay)

India is in the news these days because of how hard hit they have been with Covid-19.  The growth of cases has been exponential and deadly.  April 2, 2021 there were 89,129 new cases reported. May 2 there were 368,060 new cases reported in one day.  Having travelled to Mumbai and volunteered for two consecutive years in Kolkata, and knowing people who live in Bangalore right now, my heart is very much with India as they are suffering horribly.

How fitting then, to share with you some pictures from my first trip to Kolkata in 2018.  At the time I was with the Interim Group from HKIS called "Children of Kolkata."  Mostly we were volunteering to work with NGO's who help extremely vulnerable and impoverished populations.  But we also were tourists for a bit, seeing temples, taking a ferry on the Ganges, and taking a walk-about of the local area where our hotel was - its markets and street vendors.  You will see poverty here, but also beauty and beautiful people.  

Please keep India in your hearts and prayers.

Walking through the local street market

Daily market in our neighborhood.

A temple we visited. 

From the water

Beauty at sunset

On the Ganges - ferry to the temple

A lovely passenger on the ferry

Our students preparing for dinner

One of many many old, yellow taxis. 

A street vendor

Locals feeding the dogs

Architecture

Rickshaws and a man bathing

In line for amazing milk-tea.

Photo Credit: Dong L.

(Photo Credit: Dong L.)

Mohin and Brenda (Photo Credit Dong L.)

Chickens for sale (Photo Credit: Dong L.)

Rickshaws (Photo Credit: Dong L.)

All photos and videos by © Brenda Brayko unless otherwise noted.  All rights reserved.

Thank you, Asia "Holi" (53 days left in Hong Kong)

Vipin, David, and Brenda after Holi

For two years I celebrated Holi in Kolkata with the kids from Anondo Trust and our HKIS students and chaperones.  Wikipedia explains Holi as a "popular ancient Hindu festival also known as the 'Festival of Love' the 'Festival of Colours' and the 'Festival of Spring'".  It is primarily celebrated in India and Nepal and by the Indian diaspora. Of course there is more to it than that, so I invite you to do a bit of research if you are unfamiliar with Holi and would like to know more.  

The kids performing the story of Holi

This year Holi fell on March 28 - 29.  

The cool thing about Holi is the colors.  In my experience, the children of Anondo Trust were quite excited to take our group to an open field where we gleefully smeared bright florescent colors on each other with the words "Happy Holi."  It was cool to play with the kids this way - gender and age didn't matter.  Sometimes people toss the colored powder in the air too (although it can get in your eyes). 

During - smearing

There is a lot of laughter, running around, and general "water balloon fight" sort of vibe.

After 

With my friend Mohin

If you ever get a chance to experience Holi, I highly recommend it.  Not only is it just good fun, it is also a "festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships" (Wikipedia).  Seems like something we could all use a bit of these days.  

Thank you, Asia "Kolkata" (92 days left)

 "Thank you, Asia series".  92 days left.  February 28, 2021 

Thank you, Kolkata, India.

Growing up I could never have imagined I would ever travel to Kolkata (Calcutta), India.  I grew up knowing about Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity.  I had heard of The Mother House.  I had heard how she had served the poorest of the poor.  I knew these things, but I didn't know I would one day become a volunteer for the Missionaries of Charity myself.  This was truly one of the more transformational experiences I have had during our eleven years living as expats in Asia.

In March 2018 and March 2019 I had the privilege of chaperoning our school's service interim trip to Kolkata called "Children of Kolkata".  Along with about 16 students and one or two other chaperones upon each occasion, we spent one week working with service organizations in Kolkata.  The Missionaries of Charity service was the most challenging and eye opening for me.  

the HKIS female volunteers outside of the Mother House  

Photo Credit: © Brenda Brayko. All rights reserved.

Each morning we would meet at 7 AM at THE Mother House with the nuns who would provide a bread, banana, and milk tea breakfast, lead a few prayers and songs, and then dispatch us to various homes around the city which cared for the disabled, sick and dying who had been rescued from the streets.  The girls in our service group and I were dropped off at Shanti-Dan each day, which serves young girls to young women with mental health needs, CP, or blindness.  There, we learned how to care for the "girls", sing to them, walk with them, teach them English, do physical therapy with them or care for the facility by washing clothes by hand or hanging clothes on the line, folding clothes, or making up the cots.  Day in and day out the tasks are always the same, the routine for the girls is the same, but when you are new and don't speak the language knowing what to do and how to do it and even how to BE is quite a shock to the system.  

As volunteers you feel conflicted about your role in these strangers' lives. You see what you interpret to be lives of suffering, but you also understand love and compassion at a much deeper level than you have before.  You confront how fake or real you are living your own life.  You realize that a person's eyes really ARE the window to their soul.  You realize that every human being has worth and is worthy of love, comfort, and connection.  You love these beautiful souls, these beautiful girls dearly.  And then you feel ashamed when you walk past homeless person after homeless person still looking away, still unable to fully love them too.  It is a humbling and transformative experience.

Due to Covid-19 I have not had the opportunity to return to Kolkata these past two years.  I would be there right now, if things were "normal."  But the two weeks I volunteered at the Missionaries of Charity will continue to influence how I move through this life.  So, Thank you, Kolkata.  Thank you, Mother Teresa. Thank you, Shanti-Dan girls, for everything.