Arrival in Kolkata and My New Host Family

We were greeted in Kolkata by the first coming of the monsoon rains. It had not rained in the days, weeks, and even months leading up to our arrival, so it was very hot and dry (India’s summer season is mid-April to mid-June). But literally as we were walking from the airport to the car, it started to rain. I found it to be a perfect welcoming gift, because it means a breaking of the heat of the summer months. Everything was washed clean of its dust and grime, and Kolkata shone as we drove into the city. The colors somehow seemed brighter, the attitude softer and the city gentler than in Delhi. But maybe that was just because of my pre-existing affection for Kolkata.

We were taken to AIIS in Kolkata, and later our hosts/land ladies (the other three CLS students are staying in apartments rather than with host families) came to pick us up. I had asked to stay with my previous host family, but Protima Di, the head teacher at AIIS, had told me that was not possible. I originially thought that she was putting me with a family who is new to the organization, so I was going to guinea pig them in, so to speak. That, however, was not the case. CLS has a rule that each CLS student should have his or her own host family, so because the Mukharjees (my hosts from last year) have multiple rooms, Protimadi put two AIIS students who are not on CLS in that house. At first I was disappointed, but Protima Di, because she knows me so well from last summer, was able to choose a great host for me. Chitra Di is a really strong woman who exudes confidence and has an easy, genuine smile. I liked her immediately. She came to pick me up in her own car, which she drives herself. An older woman who can (or chooses to) drive is a rare sight in Kolkata. In fact, she is the first woman driver I’ve ever seen here. One time a saw a girl about my age learning to drive a car, and I’ve seen young women driving scooters and mo-peds, but never an older woman, and never her own car. So I was impressed from the moment we left AIIS. As some of you may know, traffic in India is absolutely hectic. But Chitra Di held her own and didn’t back down to men driving much larger vehicles. After one particularly bold move, the small, sari-clad woman, beeping and honking with the best of the them, turned me and said, “you have to fight.”

Chitra Di lives alone in a flat in New Alipur, in South Kolkata. She has one daughter, who is living and working in Delhi. Her flat is actually pretty far from my school, and from the metro, which is my only complaint about the arrangement, and, in my mind, totally worth it. She has one maid, Brihoshpoti Di, who lives in the servants’ quarters downstairs (who knew that modern apartment buildings have “kajer lok-er ghor” built into them?). Chitra Di’s apartment is small: two bedrooms, one large living/dining room, and a kitchen. Especially compared to the entire four-story building owned by the host family I stayed with last year, the new place is small. But I actually prefer it. Last year there were so many people who I didn’t know, and so many rooms I had never seen where I was staying. This year, there are just two other people, both women, and every room in the apartment can be seen from the middle hallway. There is a coziness to it that wasn’t at my previous place.

While it was weeks before I even found out where the kitchen was in my last house, here I am allowed, and even expected to carry my dishes to the sink after dinner. I know this sounds silly, but such a small task actually feels empowering in a culture where the guest is usually not to lift a finger. Though I still doubt I will ever be allowed to so much as make myself a cup of tea.

Chitra Di is a designer for a fair-trade NGO that exports handicrafts to Europe and other parts of Asia. As far as I can tell, she decides how a shirt, or a piece of furniture or a textile should look, and then the artists make it. Anyways, she is socially-minded. The first night I was at her place, she say down in front of the TV and asked me if I’d like to watch the news. My kind of lady! I was exuberant. Last summer I watched lots of TV with Maitrayi Di, though it was all Bengali soaps. With Chitra Di I watch CNN and BBC. Perhaps not as good for my Bengali education, but so much better for my taste in media and my ability to be informed.

Long story short (or, if you’ve read this whole thing, long story long), I really like my living arrangements for the summer.

~m