I’ll be totally honest and admit that my first couple months of being here were tough, being separated from family and friends in a very foreign country in almost total isolation were very tough on me. These months tested how much I could take mentally, socially, and emotionally and there were times where I questioned whether it was all worth it. There were times when I thought it easier just to give up and go home to perfect San Diego weather with my family and eat all the beef, Mexican food, sushi, and chocolate chip cookies that I want. However in this last month I have reached a point in my journey where I am genuinely glad to be here, and to be living this very unique opportunity. The times where I thought I would break, I didn’t, and I am now a stronger, better person for it. I have more respect and awareness for myself and my capacities, as well as a new perspective on the human condition. If you aren’t pushed to your brink, then how will you know what you are capable of? How will you grow and cultivate yourself as a person? For too long I was comfortable with my life and being here has made me realize how much life there is to live. I am deeply grateful for the chance to be here and learn these timeless life lessons. I know I will come out a better person, and I will have memories and lessons to take away that I might have never learned.
On a lighter note, this new appreciation for my opportunity here has partially translated into more traveling! My friend invited me to go to Kolkata (Calcutta) for the weekend and I jumped at the chance. I was excited to see this famed city and yes, a part of me just wanted to get out of Navi Mumbai! Getting to the airport requires an auto ride, then one and a half hours on the train, then another auto ride, and making sure to get to the airport early enough to pass screening for entrance into the airport, check in, and security. So for my 8:15PM flight I left my house at 4:15PM. I usually get past security quickly because there are separate lines for men and women, and there are usually about 5 women and 100 men. After getting a chicken sandwich for dinner, I met a fellow Accenturite! (spelling?) He’s an SAP consultant based out of Bangalore but traveling to Mumbai for the client. His next staffing opportunities include a choice among Stockholm, Indianapolis, and Singapore. So unfair! Anyway, our flights were about five minutes apart so we spent some time talking about how great consultant and Accenture life is (I’m not joking). I know that at certain times of the year, like after annual reviews, people can be a little disillusioned with Accenture. However I can tell you that after being a poor NGO worker for the past six months, Accenture is a heavenly dream. Health care! Dental care! Life insurance! 401k! Traveling! Hotels! Rental cars! And of course, really great people (still not joking). So to all those people who diss on the corporate life or complain about their jobs, I invite you to spend a week here with me living on my $7 a day and then tell me how much you want to quit.
Back to my story. I get to Kolkata, and the hotel we are staying at is on the famed Sudder St., pretty much the most poverty-stricken, dingy part of India I have been to so far. The hotel is nice, but the street’s characters were definitely a highlight of the trip. Every person was incredibly nice (except this one old lady) and as Indians, always eager to help. I crashed pretty hard after watching Family Guy (TV!) in the hotel room and was ready for a day of sightseeing. If you can believe it, Kolkata is more humid than Mumbai. I don’t know how you get more humid than 100% Mumbai humidity but you can. We saw the sights and then went back to the hotel to get ready to go to a fashion show. I did not have high expectations for this show. I half expected it to take place in a TGIF room with no catwalk and the models walking down the center of the restaurant. I had never been to a fashion show so I was excited but I wasn’t expecting Christian Siriano. Anyway we get there and the hotel is really nice. Not a bad start. We get shown to the ballroom where the shows will be taking place and it is really nice. A nice runway with full lighting and a really great DJ. Oh, and did I mention that we were front row? And this was Kolkata Fashion Week? Yea, we’re pretty dope. The dresses were beautiful, and after spying on all the models’ footwear I really, really miss wearing heels. I have not worn heels for six months and currently do not have any in my possession. I think once I get home I will only wear heels for at least a month. Oh and the models were gorgeous too. After the fashion show we are ushered to the after party in the hotel bar, which again is really nice.
Show 2 of the night.
The designer and her beautiful dresses from show 2.
The first day of Durja Puja started while we were here. Durja Puja is a six-day festival that celebrates Hindu Goddess, Durja. In West Bengal (where Kolkata is), it’s the biggest annual festival. It also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durja’s husband (and if you remember from the previous post, Ganesha’s dad and mom!) There are more than 2000 pandals set up in Kolkata, and the city is covered with lights. Lots of tourists come to go “pandal-hopping” which often stops traffic. It’s referred to as the Rio Carnival of the Eastern Hemisphere. How lucky am I! Ganesh Chaturthi and Durja Puja!
Durja Puja pandal.
Sunday consisted of more sightseeing and relaxing. Both our flights were that night, to different cities, so we headed to the airport. All in all, a very nice weekend. From Sudder St. to Kolkata Fashion Week, I experienced the new and old, the privileged and unprivileged of Kolkata.
Kolkata is one of the few places in the world with hand-pulled rickshaws.
