After over 24 hours of traveling from Philadelphia, I must admit, I was exhausted. I'm not a good plane sleeper, so I didn't get much rest on either my first leg of the trip to Frankfurt, or the second to bring me here...Kolkata, India. I'm still not sure I can believe that I am actually here. But I really am. And I am here to help Calcutta Kids with their micro health insurance program in Fakir Bagan (a slum area of Kolkata). I am so excited about this amazing opportunity and pray that while I am here (and hopefully after I leave) I can have a positive impact.
I arrived and connected with the family that is, in many ways, responsible for me being here (more on that later). Mark, Fran, Grace & I exited the airport to find Noah waiting for us outside. Noah Levinson is the Director of Calcutta Kids and the primary person I will be working with over the next several weeks. He had a phone for Mark & Fran and was picking up his "adopted" brother Denish, Denish's girlfriend Alexis, and me to take us back to his apartment (I will be staying with Noah for about the first week I am here). We drove through the streets at a little after midnight. It was relatively quiet and not something I should get used to, according to Noah. Though it was relatively dark, I could still see that I was in a place unlike any I had ever been. The sights, sounds and smells were all very different. There seemed to be more shantis than buildings, the refuse and pollution were pronounced, and at one point an odor drifted in the window that Noah said was due to the fact that a lot of tanneries were once in the area. The smell from them still lingers.
I will post more this weekend, along with some photos. It has been an amazing couple of days. So much to experience, see and accomplish while I am here.
