Orchha Conference, August 2-9, 2009:
So much excitement for this event to arrive, seeing again other volunteers for the first time after ICO, five months ago. It’s unbelievable for some of us reaching this day. A few, who did not survive the Indian heat and others for personal and professional reasons, went home already. As for me, I am 50-50 at this point. Yeah, I could go home if I have wanted to but it’s somewhat a little bit of pride and this unrelenting sense of adventure kept me going and endure a life of a slow paced working style, a life where women are just in the background (normally in the houses serving men and their children) and men in the limelight tinkering with their noses and scratching their dirty feet during meetings and farting as well for the next block to hear. I am always looking forward to spending time with co-volunteers in some far-away states, away from Kolkata and the enclosure of my org's convent…err…campus.
Orchha is quite far from Kolkata, we have to ride 2 trains to reach this exciting place of rendezvous. After the first train, I met with other volunteers at the junction and rode with them in the second train for 5 hours going to Orchha. It was usually 3-hour trip but this time we were stuck out of nowhere due to some trains ahead of us having some problems on the tracks. I thought traffic jam only happens on the streets, but well anything can happen in India.
Anyhow, the time didn't matter to us because in some way or another we are thoroughly entertained by one volunteer who is so whacky and funny that there was no silent moment during the trip. He was the only thorn among the roses…surrounded by six sexy and pretty ladies, well he was so lucky... or unlucky?.
Well, Andy is also the youngest volunteer on the train, thus he got all our attention. We got complaints too from other adjacent cubicles, about 3-4 cubicles away from us to be exact…that was how rowdy and noisy we were because of Andy! We were almost thrown out of the train and left to ride cows going to Orchha and will probably reached it a long time after the conference ended.
So much excitement for this event to arrive, seeing again other volunteers for the first time after ICO, five months ago. It’s unbelievable for some of us reaching this day. A few, who did not survive the Indian heat and others for personal and professional reasons, went home already. As for me, I am 50-50 at this point. Yeah, I could go home if I have wanted to but it’s somewhat a little bit of pride and this unrelenting sense of adventure kept me going and endure a life of a slow paced working style, a life where women are just in the background (normally in the houses serving men and their children) and men in the limelight tinkering with their noses and scratching their dirty feet during meetings and farting as well for the next block to hear. I am always looking forward to spending time with co-volunteers in some far-away states, away from Kolkata and the enclosure of my org's convent…err…campus.
Orchha is quite far from Kolkata, we have to ride 2 trains to reach this exciting place of rendezvous. After the first train, I met with other volunteers at the junction and rode with them in the second train for 5 hours going to Orchha. It was usually 3-hour trip but this time we were stuck out of nowhere due to some trains ahead of us having some problems on the tracks. I thought traffic jam only happens on the streets, but well anything can happen in India.
Anyhow, the time didn't matter to us because in some way or another we are thoroughly entertained by one volunteer who is so whacky and funny that there was no silent moment during the trip. He was the only thorn among the roses…surrounded by six sexy and pretty ladies, well he was so lucky... or unlucky?.
Well, Andy is also the youngest volunteer on the train, thus he got all our attention. We got complaints too from other adjacent cubicles, about 3-4 cubicles away from us to be exact…that was how rowdy and noisy we were because of Andy! We were almost thrown out of the train and left to ride cows going to Orchha and will probably reached it a long time after the conference ended.
On the train going to Orchha
The six sexy pretty ladies???
Orchha provided a great venue and respite from Kolkata heat. I couldn’t describe the inner excitement to going away and spend a wonderful week in Orchha. True enough, Orchha did not disappoint me but created in me a mystique experience. Never knew how a King’s palace looked like until I arrived in our Hotel, the conference venue, a former King’s Palace! Thanks to Mousumi and Liam for choosing such great venue. We were picked up from the train station by a white sedan and offered cool drinks and clean face towel (oh what a cool treat!). It was an hour air-conditioned drive (thanks goodness!) from the train station, and we even have a welcome entourage with servants in turbans and colorful costumes playing cymbals and ringing bells on the entrance lobby. Life couldn’t get any better!
A royal and beautifully adorned fully air-conditioned room awaits me there. The bed was heavenly and the wardrobe cabinet is so unique and antiquated that made me want to steal it and bring it back to Kolkata. A quick tour to the nearby King’s Fort was great! Such a lovely place. Orchha is way clean and peaceful than any place in other states
The 5 days in King’s Palace was a memorable experience, not any one of us would want to go home yet. But time has come to for us to report back to our placement and some back to their forests (sorry guys you must be back to your jungle club). Hmmmnnn…it was indeed an exotic and heavenly place to remember.
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