Time and More Time

Miller Hawkesby

Seems that nothing can immerse you in India as much as sitting in a bus tardy by two hours, awaiting another 23 hours of driving, due to a train booked months in advance being cancelled.  It also seems that I unequivocally love it.  This adventure has bequeathed upon me many new abilities: solving a Rubik's Cube, how to win a game of 500, and of course how to use a digital thesaurus to sound like an upstart in my blog.

It has also given me the opportunity to reflect on the last few days while listening to some bangers.  Kolkata feels now like a distant memory, with highs and lows.  While not the cleanest or even prettiest place, Kolkata is a city filled with some fantastic people, many of whom don't have it easy.  I have however discovered that sometimes it is the worst of times that brings out the best in people, the work done by organisations like Free Set, Future Hope, Khelo Rugby, and the Jungle Crows are all examples of the legacy of Mother Teresa and her indiscriminate care.  Kolkata is a unique city with many imperative lessons to be learnt and thoughts to explore.

After a surprisingly restful 12-hour train ride from Kolkata to Siliguri, we embarked on an eventful drive in our Tatas (interestingly the largest car manufacturer in the world, yet it only sells in the Indian sub-continent) to the lofty city of Darjeeling for some chilled Indian-Queenstown vibes.  Darjeeling provided some time for further rest, reflection and a bit of free time, but we were in and out quickly.

On from there we hopped back in the Tatas and embarked upon yet another highly enjoyable drive, this time to a village based on one of Darjeeling's famous tea plantations.  We were greeted by joy and ritual, treated to some solid touch rugby, and blessed with the village's finest building to sleep in: its church. 

I have learnt that the cards dealt to us are not spread evenly, and it can really suck.  Why was I born into a full and loving family with all the opportunities I could possibly seek, while to so many life is a daily struggle?  Why can these people hold a smiling face despite their terrible circumstances, while I am sad to be away from home for one Christmas? So far, I have more questions than answers since departing from Auckland, if any of these questions do have answers I feel that it's going to take a hell of a lot longer than 30 days to find them.  For now, I am going to enjoy every moment of this trip: all the time waiting due to delays, exploring new locations, eating food so spicy you sweat, meeting new and beautiful people, lying in bed sick (if I can't help it), chilling to good music and even the feeling of being away from home.