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Now I'm at the airport in Kolkata. It's the end of my trip, I have to stay at the airport for 12hours, again. I was planning to leave my luggage at the airport and go see Indian's oldest tree and world's biggest tree at the Botanical garden in Kolkata. But unfortunately they don't have anymore a safe for luggage so I have to stay here with my luggage. I'll reach Delhi tonight 11.30pm ish and again I have to stay at the airport for 12hours. But luckily it's over the night so it's no problem. I wasn't very lucky with the flights.
My trip in India has been good, I still haven't got sick, knock on wood. I have took some huge riskes with food, it's sometimes impossible to say no when people here offer food to you. And here they share everything, so I'm really suprised that I haven't got sick. But I shouldn't be too happy about it yet because I'll still be here for almost 24h. And the time will be spent at the airport so we'll see what's going to happen, that how strong is my stomach.
I have seen, learned and experience so much. It has been a such a great adventure and experience over all. I haven't had too big problems either. I have traveled in Eastern part of India from North to South. Darjeeling, Sikkim, Ranchi, Bodhgaya, Ponducherry, Auroville and of course Kolkata are the places where I have been. And also the small rural villages around and near Kolkata. I have seen life of the poor of the poorest Indians and of the really rich Indians life as well. The difference is huge, first it was hard to adjust to the life with the really rich people.
Also 5weeks I volunteered at the IIMC, then for 3weeks I traveled either alone or with a friends. First I went to see my Indian friend to Ranchi for few days. Ranchi is the capitol of state of Jharkhand. It was nice to see normal Indian life, but first it was hard to see the huge difference between the poor of the poorest Indians and with the really rich Indians. Money it really doesn't make you happy, it only gives you more freedom and when you have more freedom it only gives you more worries. The poor people they are so happy, they are happy about small things in life. My friend and his friends and family were so worried and scared about everything. My experiences and seeing life in India has tought me a lot. I really enjoyed spending time in Ranchi with his friends.
ps. The picture on this blog text is from our rooftop dinner, our rooftop was so peaceful, we enjoyed spending time there after work or eating breakfast on our freedays. In the evenings it was so relaxing to be up there under the stars, trying to escape all the Kolkata's noices.
For the first 4weeks I had this huge problem with chicken, I didn't eat any chicken or any meet for 4weeks. I just couldn't. After seeing all the chickens in small cages on the street waiting for to be killed, after seeing the place where they sacrifice the lambs at temples, lambs blood on the floor at the temples etc. I just couldn't eat any meet, even the thought made me feel ill and pictures of the animals came to my mind. I spoke a lot about my problem with my friends here because in Finland I jused to love meat, I ate a lot of it. Now here I noticed and felt that my body really needed some protein, I wasn't getting enough of it. In 3weeks I had lost 5kg, 11lbs. Luckily one night when we were having dinner with the founder of the organization, with Dr.Sujit, one of my friends convinced me to try to chicken. And I tried it and it was soo good. After that he always laughs at me when I'm eating chicken because in his opinion I'm so extremly happy then, I'm just smiling when it's so good. But for few days after that I still had some problems to eat meat, but now I'm over it and happily eating chicken.
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Nyt on reissu lopuillaan, oon Kolkatassa lentokentalla, 12tuntia pitais taalla olla. En kovin onnekas oo ollu noiden lentojen suhteen. Mulla oli ideana jattaa tavarat kentalle sailytykseen ja menna kaymaan kattomaan Intian vanhinta puuta seka maailman suurta puuta, mut niilla ei ookkaan enaa mitaan sailytyspaikkaa taalla nii mun pitaa sit olla kentalla kamojen kanssa. Puoli12aikaan yolla oon Delhissa jossa mun sitten taas pitaa olla 12tuntia, mut onneks silloin on yo nii eipa se nyt paljoa haittaa.
Mun Intian reissu on ollu kylla aivan uskomaton, niin paljon kaikkea oon nahny, kokenu ja oppinu uutta. Suurimmilta vastoinkaymisilta oon myos onnekseni valttyny. Ja terveena oon edelleen pysyny, ihme kylla kun niin paljon riskiruokia oon syony. Taalla on melkeen mahdotonta sanoa ei kun ihmiset tarjoo ruokaa, ja muutenki kun taalla niin jaetaan kaikki nii on niin ihme etten oo tullu kipeeks. Mut ei viela pida turhaa innostua, melkeen 24tuntia on viela jaljella ja sen ajan tuun viettamaan lentokentalla etta katotaan nyt miten kayn.
5ensimmaista viikkoa olin tyossaoppimassa/vapaaehtoistyontekijana Kolkatassa, sitten 3viikkoa matkustelin joko yksin tai kavereiden kanssa. Ita-Intiassa oon reissanu, pohjosesta etelaan. Darjeeling, Sikkim, Ranchi, Bodhgaya, Ponducherry, Auroville ja tietenki Kolkata on paikat jossa oon ollu. Seka pienet kylat Kolkatan ymparilla. Oon nahny elamaa koyhimmista koyhimpien intialaisista rikkaisiin. Ero on niin surullisen iso, aluks kun menin mun kaverin luo Ranchiin niin oli aika vaikeeta, kun huomas sen eron. Todella sen oppi ja tajus etta raha ei todellakaan tee sua onnelliseks, se vaan antaa lisaa vapauksia sulle jotka sitte johtaa suurempiin huoliin ja pelkoihin kaikesta. Koyhimmista koyhimat on niin onnellisia, iloitsevat elaman pienista asioista, kun taas rikkaat ovat niin peloissaan ja huolissaan melkeenpa kaikesta. Elaman nakeminen Intiassa ja kokemukset on kylla opettanu niin paljon.
ps. Taa kuva on otettu meidan majatalon katolta, siella oli niin ihana viettaa aikaa tyopaivan jalkeen. Olla vaan tahtien alla, yrittaa paeta kaaottisesta Kolkatasta. Siella syotiin joskus paivallinen, juotiin teeta tai syotiin aamupalaa.
Mulla oli muuten ensimmaiset reilu4viikkoa aivan kamala ongelma kanan ja lihan suhteen, en syony ollenkaan lihaa, en pystyny edes ajattelemaan lihaa, kun olin nahny kaduilla kanoja niin pienissa hakeissa valmiina teurastettavaks. Ja kun yhella tempelilla nain karitsojen uhrauspaikan, karitsan verta maassa ja karitsat menossa uhrattavaks jne. Kun aattelinki lihaa niin tuli huono olo ja nain vaan ne parat elaimet. Mut kylla huomas, etta kroppa kaipas proteiinia kun niin jumissa rupes olemaan paikat ja 5kg olin laihtunu 3viikossa. Olin puhunu paljon mun liha-ongelmasta muiden kanssa, kun Suomessahan rakastin lihaa ja soin sita aivan hirveesti. Nii yks paiva sitten kun paivallisella oltiin koko porukka jarjeston johtajan Dr.Sujitin kanssa niin mun kaveri sit sai mut jotenki ylipuhuttua maistamaan kanaa jota tarjottiin, ja voi etta kun oli hyvaa. Sen jalkeen oon sit taas syony kanaa ja lihaa. Nauraa vaan mulle, kun sen jalkeen kun oon syony kanaa nii mun ilme on vaan niin onnellinen, kun se on vaan niin hyvaa. Muutaman paivan sen jalkeen oli kylla hetkia kun meinasin taas lopettaa lihan syomisen, mutta nyt oon yli siita ongelmasta, onneks.
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Elina ihana kun tulet takaisin Suomeen!!:-)