Goodbye India

Quatorzieme et dernier jour a Calcutta. Ce sejour prolonge par la force des evenements m`a permi de vivre un peu plus cette ville (bien que toujours depuis mon statut d`occidentale) et d`aller un peu au-dela des permieres impressions et apparences. La "Cite de la Joie" m`a fappe non pas tant par la misere et la pauvrete qui n`est pas pire que dans les autres villes indiennes malgre les cliches vehicules. J`ai plutot ete etonnee de decouvrir une metropole beaucoup plus propre, sereine et chaleureuse que son homolgue ouest du pays, Delhi, et ou l`entraide est bel et bien presente. Coeur culturel de l`Inde, Calcutta est resoluement une ville dynamique et accueillante. La gentillesse bengalie est a l`image de la gentillesse dans cet immense pays, aussi grande que desarmante.

L`autre jour, en manque de mal-bouffe occidentale, j`me suis resolue aller au KFC (oui, je sais!). Une relexion m`est venue en decouvrant, non sans etonnement, que TOUT le staff etait ... sourd-muet! Une belle initiative dans le sens de l`integration de personnes souvent laissees-pour-compte, et qui marche tres bien. Excellent service, un staff hyper a l`ecoute (bravo le mauvais jeu de mots...) et dont la gentillesse se lit aux sourires sur leurs visages, et aucun pb de comprehension (jy croyais, mais non on m`a pas servi de boeuf a la place du poulet!!haha). L`Inde est capable de telles initiatives, que je n`ai personnellement jamais encore vu en France ou ailleurs en Europe. On peut se demander dans quelle mesure l`engouement occidental suscite par les dispensaires de Mere Teresa ne nuit pas a l`elan de ces initiatives. Si moins de volontaires sporadiques venaient "travailler", peut-on penser que des emplois plus pereins seraient crees en vue de les remplacer? Et evitant la dechirure aux enfants quand ils voient les benevoles partir apres s`y etre attaches pendant des mois? Et puis, n`y a-t-il pas en France aussi des handicapes a aider, des orphelins a s`occuper, des pauvres a soigner ou des p`tits vieux a ne pas oublier? Mais certainement qu`il y a une multitude d`autres parametres a prendre en compte, je laisse donc ces considerations aux economistes et sociologues, moi je pars pour ... la plage!! L`aeroport ayant reouvert, j`ai un vol pour Bangkok prevu pour ce soir et avec un peu de chance dans deux jours je suis sous les cocotiers!! :))

Because of the events that took place in Bangkok, I`ve stayed much more time than initially planned in Calcutta and that`s my fourteenth day already! It enabled me to have a closer and inner look at that city and to go beyond first impressions and appearances even though still looking from western eyes. What stroke me in Calcutta wasn`t poverty or begging as could be expected. Of course, most people are really truely poor and a lot of them live on the street, but not more than in any other Indian city.Calcutta appeared to me as being a quite clean, welcoming and laid-back metropolis. Far from all the cliches widely propagated in the West, Calcutta is probably the most culture-oriented city in India, and its vibrant dynamism can definitly be felt. At some point, the lack of junk western food led me directly to KFC. I was stunned to discover that the whole staff working there was deaf and mute! The order came perfect (unfortunately for me, no mistake was made, didn`t get beef instead of chicken! haha!!), the service was excellent, the staff was so nice and smily, and there wasn`t any communication problem. I thought such an initiative towards those people who are more often than not, outcast from society, is just great and deserve an applause. That left me to thinking. In my whole fast-food customer career so far I`ve never come across a deaf and mute-led restaurant. And now India. One might wonder to what extent the European craze with coming to help in Mother Teresa`s dispensaries couldn`t turn out to be more harmful than helpful. I mean, if less volunteers came "working" for short-term periods, could one think that they would be replaced by long-term proper paid jobs that Indian people could get, preventing with the same stone children from being emotionally upset when their carers go back to their own countries? I don`t know. Many more parameters are to be taken into account I reckon. So I`ll leave those thinkings to economists and sociologists and I`ll get myself ready for....... the Thai beaches!!!  Flight to Bangkok scheduled for tonight. Hopefully I`ll be laying in the shade of a palm tree within a couple of days!

Comments

[Auntie Gwen]

I posted this under the wrong date so am re-entering it!!
Hi Isabelle - enjoying your photos and commentary! (Singapore is a splendid airport. Terminal 1 was fisrt opened in July 1981, but I guess you arrived at Terminal 3 which opened in January of this year. To find out the history go to http://www.changiairport.com/changi/en/about_us/history_changi.html?__locale=en Love, Auntie Gwen

[elwyn(DAD)]

Hi Sweetie, its Dad here, hope you had a good trip to Bankok
Enjoy yourself by the palm trees'e and the lovely beaches lots of love Daddy xxxxx