Solar Eclipse in Kolkata Today

Amazing scenes of solar eclipse

Taken at the Rooftop of my office early this afternoon.

My Indian Holiday

Nothing could have prepared me for my Indian Holiday.

All of us, generally want to celebrate this very special occasion with our loved ones and friends. Eversince the beginning of my waking life, this season has been about me and my loved ones and my friends back home in the Philippines.

During my childhood days, Christmas was a very happy and exciting holiday to look forward to. It is beautifully adorned Belen, Christmas trees and lights (some with Santa and his reindeers) everywhere on the streets, stores, houses, gardens, buildings, shop. Gifts from Santa, who secretly put my babydoll (would sooner that expected became a 'rag' doll) wrapped in fancy ribbon and paper underneath the Christmas tree. It is a sock full of candies hanging by the wall near the Christmas tree. A feast of my favorite food (Aroz Caldo, Roasted Pig, Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Cakes, Apples and Grapes that only come in special occasions during those times, etc.) set on the table upon waking up at midnight of the 24th December. It is waking up at 4am to attend early morning masses consecutively for 15 days before Christmas. It would mean party invitations from neighbors and classmates. Christmas school programs which I get to dance with my school crush. It is the singing of Christmas Carols during the dead of night with my neighboring and special *wink* friends. All these memories I could fondly remember now that I am far away from home.

When I grew a little bit older, Christmas became a headache to me. It is buying gifts for my godchildren, nieces and nephew and for their parents (who can’t bear having no gifts from me). Organizing Christmas Programs in the office and arranging Christmas bonuses and gifts for insatiable employees. Being a perennial skeletal working force and slaving until near Christmas eve or, if not, having endless and intermittent calls from my boss (the vice president of hypertension) when I am on holiday leave making it a working holiday (might as well did not file for leave!). Having small parties and exchanging gifts with friends who almost all the time cannot remember my constantly changing size and favorite colors. Getting belly problems for days from Christmas until New Year from drinking mixed drinks with no umbrellas. In spite of these, I could fondly remember them now, the happy faces of all the children and adults I celebrated with during this special season.

I have set my mind to have grand Christmas and New Year Holidays in India despite of the absence of beautifully adorned Belen, Christmas trees and lights. In the Philippines, Christmas can be felt as early as the last week of September when people start to feel the “-ber” fever. People are now clamoring to buy gifts from malls and shops on Christmas sale. Christmas trees and lights starts to appear on streets and stores, sometimes confused with Halloween decorations of November. The excitement and anticipation of Christmas bonuses and gifts are strongly contagious than the so-called “pig/swine flu” virus. Never felt this kind of anticipation and excitement in my placement in Kolkata. Never seen Christmas trees and lights in the neighboring houses nearby, not even in neighboring rooms of my campus, the office itself is totally barren of even just a small tinge of Christmas thrills. Not even for my sake! Can you imagine that?!

So, to rekindle this excitement in my mind, I went to south city mall, bought small gifts for the malnourished children confined in my campus’ infirmary center. Amazing, without knowing the exact number of kids confined in the campus, I bought exactly the same number of gifts for the children out of my greed to actualize my simple act of charity. It was a heavy stuff for me to bring home to the campus, I would have been very happy if ‘Rudolf’ (Santa’s reindeer) was around waiting outside the mall with his band of rickshaws. My gift-giving was a solemn ritual but I didn’t miss the looks of amazement of the children and their mothers upon receiving the gifts. It is a rare moment for them to receive gifts at this season since they have no idea what Christmas is all about. Anyhow, Christmas spirit and joy of the season will be in their hearts forever.

As promised to my dear friend, Mabel, I went to Jharkhand and spent my holidays with the Holy Cross nuns and other volunteers assigned in Hazaribag. The Holy Cross Hospital is situated in the outskirts of the town of Hazaribag. I was picked up by the hospital’s ambulance from Koderma train station. It was icy cold temperature inside the isolated building in the middle of the forest. I cooked Italian “with Indian chili flavor” pasta for the sisters and we ate it for dinner. It was a huge serving, some sisters did not or can’t manage anymore to eat their usual dinner of dhal, veggie and rice after eating my gigantic size pasta. It was very nice Christmas treat for me. There was an evening mass, followed by dancing and music and finally eating Indian fruitcake with lemon tea. I could have worn my new salwar kameez which I brought from Kolkata, but one of the staff forced me to wear her new saree. So there I went on with the midnight party on my borrowed beautiful saree, swaying and singing with other sisters in their tribal Christmas songs and music instruments.

In between Christmas and New Year holidays, I extended my work with my organization’s Jharkhand office. There, I met and talked with the extended family of my placement organization. It was a joy meeting them, they are such gentle souls. I was picked up by a car from Hazaribag town to Ranchi office and ferried back again to Hazaribagh after my official business. I was accompanied by Mabel who all the day long went shopping to Big Bazaar while I was slaving myself at work. Meeting wonderful people in the holiday continued on until my New Year celebration.

The were many “New” things on my New Year experience. This is the first ‘new year’, that I spent in India (though this is my second ‘new year’ to spend outside the Philippines, my first one was in Hong Kong in 2008). My first to spend new year in a deep tribal forest with an Indian family. My first to have a “bonfire” new year with a lot of lovely guys and lovely girls! My first to be swarmed with kisses on the cheeks and bear hugs from the lovely guys! (oh-lala, it’s raining men!) My first to drink whiskey! My first to dance with “Bollywood’ music until wee hours in the morning with gang of Bollywood Indian dancers! My first to eat homemade and delicious ‘cold’ beef meat in the heart of India! My first to sit by a ‘bonfire’ with thick fog and dark trees surrounding me! My first to sleep fully clothed in my day dress (without changing to my pajamas) with 2 lovely volunteers at the early hours in the morning until full sunrise! And finally, my first to receive a ‘tribal painting’ from a renowned tribal artist of Hazaribag (a friend of Andy) as a new year’s gift.

As I said, nothing could have prepared me for the adventures gained from my great Indian Holiday! Thanks to Mabel, Andy, Efren, Sangita and all the wonderful people I met along the way.