The Price of a Couple of Photos

Spent yesterday at the Anandaloy home for lads.
Kicked off to a slow start since it had been raining since early Sunday evening. Monday morning continued with heavy rain and thunder so that much of Kolkata was flooded. Premila was indicating that the flooding is really unnecessary. It's really a matter of lack of investment in the drains and infrastructure. Many of the children served by EMC will have had a particularly difficult day, with water up to the knees in some parts. I can't imagine what a night in New Market must have been like. Apparently it's fairly high up so will not have flooded but other slum areas will. The pavement clubs were combined into one at Creek Row for the day since so few children turned up. In such heavy rain it seems the city doesn't quite stop but does slow down a little.
Kuldeep picked me up at Rippon St and we took the metro to Tollygung. It was quite neat in comparison to much of the city, and simple to use. Rs6 to get there then an Auto ride to the home. One has to find an Auto rickshaw that's going you way then once he's full of passengers he'll fire off down the street. One quickly learns how tight the turning circle of these things are as they dart in between the buses, taxis and people. He had to stop at one point for repairs due to the damp conditions. It seemed to involve replacing sellotape around some wires.
There were more lads at the home in the afternoon than usual, again due to the rain some couldn't get to work. So we played a kind of finger pool. Four people squat around a square wooden board on the floor. About 3ft square, wit pockets at the corners like a snooker or pool table. There are a group of counters placed in the middle, one red then some black and some "white" (in fact yellow). The players are in two teams of two and each take turns to flick a puck, as a kind of cue ball, to fire the counters in the pockets. They seem to do it with great ease and power. My technique needs some work.
Then they went out for a game of monsoon footy. The pitch was under a 4 inches of water so they threw the ball instead of kicking it. Like a blend between basket ball and footy. I didn't play as I hadn't come prepared to roll around in muddy water. In future I bring a spare set of clothes and a towel with me.
As a finale we spent a little time flying a kite from the roof of the home.
That was yesterday. Felt like I was just watching for much of it, so having seen the place for a day, I hope now to lead something a little more structured. At least make me feel like I'm contributing. I'm trying to bring to mind all the stuff we do in the Friday Club back home. Leonora and Rachael may be joining me today also, which I think should please the lads. At the end of the day I think they'd rather chat with Susanna and Rachael. This is a role I can't fulfill. I'm hoping that it will be possible for the few days next week to return to New Market in the morning and go to Anandaloy in the afternoon.

So I had planned to spend this morning sat in a cafe thinking this through and prep'ing some Bible Studies. Instead I've been for a bit of a walk and met some people along the way. Been variously strung a line or taken for a ride by sundry beggars, each one insisting that they are not actually asking for money and they don't like begging etc. In actual fact it's been very similar to being in Bristol except maybe I'm in the mood to talk and they are very good at chatting for a few rupees (and maybe there are very few if any government life lines for these people). One took me for a cup of chai before explaining why his son needed some cash, another told me all about her children and why she wished she could send them to school. All of them claimed to pray to Jesus, even the Muslim lady after I told her I was a Christian. She wanted me to spend over Rs800 on her groceries! I confess to buying some food for her, largely for the experience of watching the guy and his little daughter (?) measure out the rice and dhal in a little back street shop, but nothing near her initial request! She was outrageously presumptuous towards me and not at all generous to those around her.
So it's been an interesting morning. With the two I did "help" I've had to trust and leave them to deal with their own hearts before a God who sees everything. Does my cynicism make me less of a fool or more of one? This moral issue is one I'll be facing when I get back home. Giving on the streets is not the answer, whether in Bristol or Kolkata. I think that's pretty clear. It would be nice to just chat to some of these with a thought that they weren't attempting to soften you up, which is clearly what they are doing. Maybe I should start trying to just talk and make it clear I'm going to give nothing. See how happy they are for the simple cultural exchange. The one lady was insistent that she wouldn't ask me again. As I tried to explain, she may not but somebody will. Every time I step out somebody will, and I simply can't help everyone. I've met generous people living on the streets and I've met those who are just out for themselves. Any sphere of life, all personalities and qualities.
So what to do?
Give time but not money, indeed don't give anything more than sweets and biscuits to kids sparingly. Focus attention on the one's and two's God would introduce to me. I can't help everybody. Remember the star fish story. And those two principles, Time and Focus, seem to mirror the EMC approach.

Still, following this morning I've got some great photos of a chai stall and a grocery store, even if it was at some small cost!

I'm heading to lunch and get a photo of a rickshaw guy.