The Service Portion of the Show

Since my program is a service-learning program and I spend about one-third of my time doing service, I think it is about time that I give a little description of what my service has been like so far. Little background, I work at Kalighat, which Mother Teresa's Home for the Destitute and the Dying. I work Monday thru Wednesday, off on Thursday, work Friday and Saturday and then have off again on Sunday.

7:30 a.m. -out the door, walking to Kalighat.

8:00 a.m. -Arrive at service. Morning prayer's and songs.

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. -Breakfast and laundry. Handing out plates of food, help feed some patients, getting water (pani in Hindi, jhol in Bengali), cleaning dishes and doing laundry with other volunteers.

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.-Hand out medicine, help patients go to the bathroom, visit, lay out laundry to dry.

10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.-Tea time. Most people take a break and have some potato dish, protein crackers, tea, and water.

11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.- Hand out lunch to patients. Usually rice with a side that gets mixed together by patients to eat. Clean dishes again.

11:30 a.m. -Done for the day. Out walking home and back by noon.

Service has been both good and bad so far. Some days are better than others. I'm surprised sometimes by the intensity of our menial labor, I think I am finally having a restaurant work experience (in a way) and I get pretty tired. I do feel like I am making a difference which I think is important for keeping me motivated.

One thing that is challenging is the language barrier. I am taking classes in Bengali but is far from where I would like it to be. It's tough when a patient talks to you, and you can't understand whether they want water or to go to the bathroom. But I am learning, for example. Tomaar naam ki? means What is your name? Boom, communication established which I think is important to show with the patients language is the problem, not that I don't care.

The international demographics of the volunteers at Mother Teresa's is something I did not expect, though I thoroughly enjoy. I am meeting people from all over the world and I am using more Spanish than I ever thought I would. Que bueno.

Yesterday was Mother Teresa's birthday, so we had a quick mass at work and the nuns clapped and sang happy birthday. I was caught off-guard by the service, but it was a nice experience. The homily was very much of a praise of Mother T and asking everyone to be mindful of her general awesomeness and how she can inspire and work through us all. The wine was good.

I would love to write about all of the people I've met and worked with so far, but I think that could be quite a hefty post in and of itself.