I remember as a young girl in Girl Scouts singing a fun song (in a round), "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold." That childhood song captures the past couple of days...
On Thursday, we packed our bags and connected with staff and children at Charisma House in Kolkata. For many years, I have tried not to say the words "good bye," rather "see you next time." So we bid our "see you next times" with tears in our eyes and hugged many new friends who will be forever etched in our memories and on our hearts. We had a quick lunch with Shagufta and her uncle who came donning small gifts as a thank you for connecting with their family. Once we were back at the hotel and luggage brought down to the lobby, we were very surprised and moved that many hotel staff (room cleaners, restaurant servers, reception, and management) came to say goodbye to us and even more moving was the tears they shed concerning our departure. Benita, the manager who took such a shine to Rebekah, gave her an ornate going away gift (a bracelette and ring set) and told Rebekah to keep smiling her beautiful smile! Once we loaded the taxi, and set in for our ride, Rebekah and I both fought back tears as we saw Kolkata passing us by...
Our journey began with a few hours in the Kolkata airport. We had been advised that there were many traffic jams enroute to the airport and to leave extra early. On the contrary traffic was not bad but it was good to get through the multiple layers of security and settle in with plenty of time before our departure. Our flight to Bangalore was short (just over two hours) but then our layover was over six hours. We had been told in Kolkata (several times) that our luggage would be directly transferred to our next flight and tha we did not have to pick it up at baggage claim. I was relieved to hear we had one less step to deal with.
Since we arrived in Bangalore on January 30 and our flight wasn't until the wee hours of January 31, we had to remain in the domestic side of the airport for several hours and then we could cross over to the international side. We had six hours before departure so we didn't really care where we spent our time. We grabbed a snack from a familiar restaurant (Cafe Coffee Day) and pulled out the Uno cards. During that time, we started chatting with a young woman (originating from complimenting her on her alibaba pants) and discovered Aidan was from BC and was homeschooled in Self Design (our learning philosophy as well as my masters degree work). She was a vibrant, well spoken, knowledgable world traveller. Not only did our time pass quicker, our lives were enriched by meeting her. She and her boyfriend had been travelling across Asia for a few months and had a few more to go. Hearing of their adventures (trekking, staying in remote villages, taking the trains, and so on) was incredibly inspirational!
Around midnight, a security guard approached our small group of foreigners and asked if we had travelled from Kolkata with three baggs checked in. I said yes and he proceeded to tell me to show him my passport, ticket, and baggage claim tickets. It turns out that no matter how many times the clerk assured me in Kolkata that our bags were to be checked all the way through and that we did not have to retrieve them at baggage claim, that was not true. I looked across the room to the gate to cross into the international section of the airport and there sat a trolley with all of our luggage. The security guard said we were supposed to pick it up so they hunted us down. Thank goodness it wasn't lost and it was a bonus we didn't have to do the work of retrieving them through baggage claim!
Off we went across the great divide to the international section. We exchanged currency, rechecked our luggage, and cleared immigration. Finally 4 a.m. came and we departed from Bangalore (with Frankfurt as our destination). After a very long 10 hour flight, and little sleep, we arrived in Frankfurt. Claiming our luggage and clearing immigration was simple compared to our other stops! With great anticipation, we exited that area and voila found Sabine, my long time friend, who welcomed us with open arms! We trekked through the airport to the train station. The train was quite full but we found a couple of seats and off we went to Koln. At one point I saw the sign flash that we were going 261 km/hr (and I later found out that it often goes 300 km/hr). About 50 mins. later we arrived in Koln, haled a taxi, and journeyed to Sabine's apartment.
Immediately upon our arrival to Frankfurt, Rebekah and I started experiencing culture shock. We were astounded by all the people with milky, white skin, hearing different languages than we had come accustomed to, seeing modern restaurants/store, noticing little to no pollution, seeing different cars (our taxi was a mercedes), and no horns were used!!! The past couple of days we continue to acclimate to a very different culture than what we lived in for over a month...
It has been wonderful to be here at Sabine's place. She told me it was her mission to spoil us and she is definitely succeeding! I have thoroughly enjoyed soaking in hot baths for long periods of time, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and eating amazing food (food we didn't feel safe to eat in Kolkata such as fresh produce...salads have been one of the highlights).
The first day we arrived, we layed low, slept some, and went out to a traditional Koln pub for supper. It was fun to take in the atmosphere and the food was splendid! We had a great sleep that first night and quickly adjusted to the time change. We woke up at 7 a.m. and felt well rested and ready to take on the day. Sabine told us that as a local she hasn't seen (or was to young to remember) the sites she planned to take us. We started our day with a lavish breakfast of breads, meats, cheeses, yogurt, fruit, and juices.
Then off we went to a castle! I wasn't sure if we would be driving on the auto bonn during our stay here, so I was thrilled when we did. I took a short video and some pictures to document the experience. Onto the castle we went. The weather was a bit drizzly and cool but still very comfortable for a bit of a road trip and walking around outside some.
We were allowed to take pictures outside the castle but not inside, so we purchased some postcards to help retain the memories. The tour was given in German, however Rebekah and I had audioguides so we were wonderfully enthralled with the detailed explanation of the history and what each room represented! Because we had the audioguide, we were treated to music starting some of the explanations and it drew us in as we closed our eyes and imagined the grandeur of it all!
I couldn't help but think of my dear, Grandma Dot many times throughout the day. She was a world traveller and some of my favorite childhood memories are of her sharing her adventures with me. She always encouraged me to see the world. Well, it took quite a few years into my lifetime to embarak journeying overseas, but I am so grateful to finally have this experience (hope that it doesn't end with this trip) and could sense my Grandma smiling! What is extra special is Sabine knew my Grandma, as well, and it was moving and rich to be able to share these thoughts and memories with a friend who knew her as well as my history.
After the castle, we went to the Haribo (original gummy bear) candy store located near the factory where they are made. We were overwhelmed with aisle after aisle after aisle filled with assorted candy! The colors were bright and there was a buzz in the store. Christopher, our oldest, is a candy fiegn and we kept commenting how he wouldn't believe the choices available. It was fun to choose a variety to take home and share and then to put together a miscellaneous bag to "sample" over the next few days!
At that point, it was 4 p.m. and the other museums and sites would close at 5 p.m. So we decided to call it a day and head home. We had a relaxing evening and Sabine pulled out her old scrapbooks from when we worked at All Nations Camp in 1991. Rebekah was giddy as she looked at the pictures, asked us to share stories, and located me in the pictures. It definitely stretched my memory, but it was so fun to walk down memory lane with Sabine and share that with Rebekah.
I have come to realize that it is an honor to have a few true friends whom you may not see for years on end (I hadn't seen Sabine since I was 19) and be able to pick up right where you left off! It has done my soul great good to connect with my long time friend and I cherish the beauty we have. Yes, I reflect upon that old, childhood song in my my mind's eye and in my heart, "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold..."
On Thursday, we packed our bags and connected with staff and children at Charisma House in Kolkata. For many years, I have tried not to say the words "good bye," rather "see you next time." So we bid our "see you next times" with tears in our eyes and hugged many new friends who will be forever etched in our memories and on our hearts. We had a quick lunch with Shagufta and her uncle who came donning small gifts as a thank you for connecting with their family. Once we were back at the hotel and luggage brought down to the lobby, we were very surprised and moved that many hotel staff (room cleaners, restaurant servers, reception, and management) came to say goodbye to us and even more moving was the tears they shed concerning our departure. Benita, the manager who took such a shine to Rebekah, gave her an ornate going away gift (a bracelette and ring set) and told Rebekah to keep smiling her beautiful smile! Once we loaded the taxi, and set in for our ride, Rebekah and I both fought back tears as we saw Kolkata passing us by...
Our journey began with a few hours in the Kolkata airport. We had been advised that there were many traffic jams enroute to the airport and to leave extra early. On the contrary traffic was not bad but it was good to get through the multiple layers of security and settle in with plenty of time before our departure. Our flight to Bangalore was short (just over two hours) but then our layover was over six hours. We had been told in Kolkata (several times) that our luggage would be directly transferred to our next flight and tha we did not have to pick it up at baggage claim. I was relieved to hear we had one less step to deal with.
Since we arrived in Bangalore on January 30 and our flight wasn't until the wee hours of January 31, we had to remain in the domestic side of the airport for several hours and then we could cross over to the international side. We had six hours before departure so we didn't really care where we spent our time. We grabbed a snack from a familiar restaurant (Cafe Coffee Day) and pulled out the Uno cards. During that time, we started chatting with a young woman (originating from complimenting her on her alibaba pants) and discovered Aidan was from BC and was homeschooled in Self Design (our learning philosophy as well as my masters degree work). She was a vibrant, well spoken, knowledgable world traveller. Not only did our time pass quicker, our lives were enriched by meeting her. She and her boyfriend had been travelling across Asia for a few months and had a few more to go. Hearing of their adventures (trekking, staying in remote villages, taking the trains, and so on) was incredibly inspirational!
Around midnight, a security guard approached our small group of foreigners and asked if we had travelled from Kolkata with three baggs checked in. I said yes and he proceeded to tell me to show him my passport, ticket, and baggage claim tickets. It turns out that no matter how many times the clerk assured me in Kolkata that our bags were to be checked all the way through and that we did not have to retrieve them at baggage claim, that was not true. I looked across the room to the gate to cross into the international section of the airport and there sat a trolley with all of our luggage. The security guard said we were supposed to pick it up so they hunted us down. Thank goodness it wasn't lost and it was a bonus we didn't have to do the work of retrieving them through baggage claim!
Off we went across the great divide to the international section. We exchanged currency, rechecked our luggage, and cleared immigration. Finally 4 a.m. came and we departed from Bangalore (with Frankfurt as our destination). After a very long 10 hour flight, and little sleep, we arrived in Frankfurt. Claiming our luggage and clearing immigration was simple compared to our other stops! With great anticipation, we exited that area and voila found Sabine, my long time friend, who welcomed us with open arms! We trekked through the airport to the train station. The train was quite full but we found a couple of seats and off we went to Koln. At one point I saw the sign flash that we were going 261 km/hr (and I later found out that it often goes 300 km/hr). About 50 mins. later we arrived in Koln, haled a taxi, and journeyed to Sabine's apartment.
Immediately upon our arrival to Frankfurt, Rebekah and I started experiencing culture shock. We were astounded by all the people with milky, white skin, hearing different languages than we had come accustomed to, seeing modern restaurants/store, noticing little to no pollution, seeing different cars (our taxi was a mercedes), and no horns were used!!! The past couple of days we continue to acclimate to a very different culture than what we lived in for over a month...
It has been wonderful to be here at Sabine's place. She told me it was her mission to spoil us and she is definitely succeeding! I have thoroughly enjoyed soaking in hot baths for long periods of time, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and eating amazing food (food we didn't feel safe to eat in Kolkata such as fresh produce...salads have been one of the highlights).
The first day we arrived, we layed low, slept some, and went out to a traditional Koln pub for supper. It was fun to take in the atmosphere and the food was splendid! We had a great sleep that first night and quickly adjusted to the time change. We woke up at 7 a.m. and felt well rested and ready to take on the day. Sabine told us that as a local she hasn't seen (or was to young to remember) the sites she planned to take us. We started our day with a lavish breakfast of breads, meats, cheeses, yogurt, fruit, and juices.
Then off we went to a castle! I wasn't sure if we would be driving on the auto bonn during our stay here, so I was thrilled when we did. I took a short video and some pictures to document the experience. Onto the castle we went. The weather was a bit drizzly and cool but still very comfortable for a bit of a road trip and walking around outside some.
We were allowed to take pictures outside the castle but not inside, so we purchased some postcards to help retain the memories. The tour was given in German, however Rebekah and I had audioguides so we were wonderfully enthralled with the detailed explanation of the history and what each room represented! Because we had the audioguide, we were treated to music starting some of the explanations and it drew us in as we closed our eyes and imagined the grandeur of it all!
I couldn't help but think of my dear, Grandma Dot many times throughout the day. She was a world traveller and some of my favorite childhood memories are of her sharing her adventures with me. She always encouraged me to see the world. Well, it took quite a few years into my lifetime to embarak journeying overseas, but I am so grateful to finally have this experience (hope that it doesn't end with this trip) and could sense my Grandma smiling! What is extra special is Sabine knew my Grandma, as well, and it was moving and rich to be able to share these thoughts and memories with a friend who knew her as well as my history.
After the castle, we went to the Haribo (original gummy bear) candy store located near the factory where they are made. We were overwhelmed with aisle after aisle after aisle filled with assorted candy! The colors were bright and there was a buzz in the store. Christopher, our oldest, is a candy fiegn and we kept commenting how he wouldn't believe the choices available. It was fun to choose a variety to take home and share and then to put together a miscellaneous bag to "sample" over the next few days!
At that point, it was 4 p.m. and the other museums and sites would close at 5 p.m. So we decided to call it a day and head home. We had a relaxing evening and Sabine pulled out her old scrapbooks from when we worked at All Nations Camp in 1991. Rebekah was giddy as she looked at the pictures, asked us to share stories, and located me in the pictures. It definitely stretched my memory, but it was so fun to walk down memory lane with Sabine and share that with Rebekah.
I have come to realize that it is an honor to have a few true friends whom you may not see for years on end (I hadn't seen Sabine since I was 19) and be able to pick up right where you left off! It has done my soul great good to connect with my long time friend and I cherish the beauty we have. Yes, I reflect upon that old, childhood song in my my mind's eye and in my heart, "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold..."
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