The Night Life

I'm really glad that I am a good sleeper and that disrupted sleep doesn't get under my skin. So much life happens later in the evening here. The active hours of the day are quite different too. 10am to 7pm are normal working hours. I'm guessing this leaves the cooler parts of the day free.

I remember reading the quote, "early to bed, early to rise..." when I was a kid and I have definitely fallen into that pattern. So, early in the morning I have the quiet to myself and enjoy a long and slow morning before heading to work.

In the evening there is laughter, yelling, conversation, and the general noises of life happening outside of my window.

Then, when night comes, different types of noise and life happen outside my window.

A few weeks ago it was; a brick delivery!

The last several nights, it has been volleyball!

Who knows what it will be in the coming months!

Unexpected Resilience

When I first arrived in Kolkata I was disappointed with the number of trees. I've always had ready access to trees and I realized for the first time how much I love them! I am training my eyes now to see the trees that are here, rather than just lamenting the ones that aren't. My favorite trees are the ones growing out of abandoned, or at least seemingly abandoned, houses. The trees are taking their land back! They are finding soil, burying their root below, and reaching up to the sun.

The resilience of nature is remarkable! I am learning to see the beauty of resilience all around me. I see it in the trees as they push past obstructions. I see it in those who have chosen to serve rather than be served. And I see it in the women who have chosen freedom over slavery.

So Much Beauty

India truly is a beautiful country.The city and the countryside are two different types of beautiful, for those who have eyes to see it. I hope that I always have eyes to see the beauty around me.

This past week I've been outside of Kolkata a bit and getting to experience more of the countryside that India has to offer. I feel like this place is every photographer's dream and I won't do it justice, but I'm going to enjoy trying.

There are palaces:

Bouquets of flowers:

Rivers, boats, and trees:

Laundry and bathing up and down the river:

I also really enjoy the faces I see here. I tend not to take pictures of people though and post them here. I'm always a bit concerned about how they might feel having their face posted online, and so I err on the side of caution. Once I establish more relationships and learn how to ask permission in Bangla, I might start posting a few more faces!

Back to Kolkata!

I'm back in Kolkata!

I don't yet know Bangla fluently, that is very much a work in progress. I know enough, however, to come to Kolkata and start getting into my new life here!

So, last week I said goodbye to Dhaka:

And less than an hour later, hello to Kolkata:

It may look like I simply traded in one hazy city for another, but it is so much more than that! I really loved being in Dhaka, but it was always going to be a transient, short stay. Kolkata, however, is where I get to settle in a bit! I've been moving around a lot in the last 2 years. I've stayed in over 15 different homes for anywhere from a few days to several months, none of them really my home.

My last home was in Musoma. I wanted to grow up to be a wandering adventurer, and I think I may have accomplished that goal. I'm now wondering if Kolkata might just be the next spot that grows into place that I can call home.