Calcutta - the first culture shock of my life

I can't believe that I actually fulfilled my personal goal - to create a blog at the beginning of my (for now) three-month trip and actually write down my first impressions on the first day. But I am really sitting in this green oasis of calm - the Guesthouse Baptist Missionary Society - in the midst of a huge, chaotic, and noisy city. Calcutta - my first stop. Probably not the easiest and most pleasant place to start a journey through Asia. It could have been an easier choice, Bangkok, Bali, or whatever. But no, it's Calcutta, also known as the slum of India in Europe. I consciously chose this starting point to work as a volunteer at the Mother Teresa House for 14 days. My sister was already here two years ago and returned with positive impressions.

Yesterday, right after my arrival (from Vienna via Delhi), I let this vibrant metropolis take effect on me during a short walk. Thousands of people on the streets, bicycle rickshaws, goats, men brushing their teeth in the middle of the road, honking like I've never heard before. Although this is my second trip to India, the culture shock is still present. Unlike Jaipur and Agra, there are no tourists to be seen and you somehow feel like you're in the real India. Despite the poverty and chaos on the streets, I was immediately fascinated by the open and polite people here and the smile with which they greet you. I am fascinated by the smells, the chaotic hustle and bustle, and the complete contrast to our European big cities.

Today, I have already worked in the nursing home of the Mother Teresa Missionary of Society. Already at six o'clock in the morning, the first volunteers from all over the world gather in the main building of the Mother House to attend a Catholic service. Luckily, my guesthouse is only a few minutes' walk away, and on the way there, you already feel like you're diving into a completely different world. An old man feeds his goat with a blade of grass, the first Kathi Rolls are being baked, the buses are already filled with women in colorful saris and schoolchildren.

Just entering the Mother House, you can feel a special atmosphere, a pleasant and spiritual calm in the midst of the urban jungle. Just the reverent atmosphere created by the many nuns during the mass brings one to peace. I was particularly fascinated by the discipline of wearing these long gowns in thick fabric in the extreme heat and humidity. Despite wearing light clothing, I felt like I sweated liters of water 😃.

After the service and a shared breakfast with chai and toast, we set off to the nursing home, my first assignment. I will let the impressions sink in during a walk and a portion of Biryani (rice dish) and report in the coming days!!