Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us here in Kolkata! Love was certainly in the air today and we started the day off with gathering together, munching on Valentine-themed sweets from home, as we chatted before class. We went down to Class 2 and taught them about Saint Valentine. They were intrigued and very interested in learning, as many of them knew about the day but not about the saint himself so it provided an excellent topic of conversation. Half way through the class, we turned the focus to writing poems and designing cards, which the students made for one another. They handed them out to their friends or family, which allowed for a lovely atmosphere of gratitude and generosity. Some read their cards out and we celebrated the end of the class with some Valentine Day’s chocolate. We finished the morning with some games with the younger and older classes for break outside, where we played with bubbles and skipping ropes, saying goodbye to the younger students at 11:00. We were so sad to say goodbye to the smiley faces and they’re certainly ones we won’t forget.
After break, Aislinn went upstairs and played a few tunes on the tin whistle for Class 8 and joined Br.Franco for a duet they’d practised the day before. The students then returned the favour and played 2 songs for Aislinn, which was a really lovely touch. It’s amazing that Br. Franco’s tin whistle skills are self-taught and how he has been able to teach the students who to play a selection of tunes another amazing opportunity for the students of St. George’s. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls embraced some teenager-to-teenager time with the older girls from St.George’s, as they applied mehndi to our arms and hands, which we all had been looking forward to all week. Be sure to check out the photos of the amazing creative work! All the designs were very intricate and we were all in admiration of the talent the girls shared with us, once again. After a few hours of chatting and letting our mehndi dry, we said goodbye to the students for the last time, which was so sad..however, many of us ensured that we swapped Instagram details so that we can stay connected despite the distance. We had lunch together then and went upstairs and started packing for our early morning departure on Wednesday. We also spent time sorting all of the stationery and toys, which the HCK community so kindly donated before we left. Being here in St. George’s, we can now see how necessary and worthwhile the collected items will be for the students and their learning.
At 6.30pm, we all gathered for Mass with the brothers and a priest; we said prayers and then shared a takeout with the brothers from a local takeaway, everyone can all vouch and saying the ‘poppin’ chicken’ and the naan bread were to die for.
After dinner, we all gathered together for our final reflection, lighting the group candle for the last time. Each of us shared a moment that stood out to us since arriving in Kolkata, including the brothers, Br.Ronnie and Br.Franco. It was really symbolic and reflective and everyone had important highlights that we all agreed we’d have with us forever. Br Ronnie spoke openly and passionately about how St. George’ is a safe space for the students and that how, more often than not, their home and family lives are traumatic and far from ideal. I think we all agreed that the poignancy in what he shared was a reality check for us all and a reminder to be grateful for all that we have at home.
We finished the night singing songs, such as Irish hymns and some classics as well. The tin whistle was played for the last time before being left with Br.Franco, who even played us some tunes on his fiddle, again, self-taught! We then handed the Brothers, Shayantani (our guide) and Robin and Patrick (our amazing chefs) some cards and left them with some gifts of art and music. It was such a special evening and I think we all agreed that time flies when you’re having fun, as it’s so hard to believe that our time in Kolkata has come to an end! We all then headed up to bed for our final sleep in India for our 4.30am wake up call the next day.
Wednesday morning arrived, and despite lots of sleepy heads, everyone made it onto the bus for a 5.30am departure from the school. We said goodbye to the brothers and left for our journey back to Dublin, a long one it was going to be! Some people’s suitcases ended up being heavier than on the outward journey, which must mean they have great presents for everyone at home!!
We headed for security before grabbing some water and food before our first flight from Kolkata to Dubai. This part of the journey was five hours long but many of us slept through it! At 12pm local time we landed in Dubai; we went through security again and everyone grabbed something to eat, with some taking advantage of the shopping opportunities available, which some took very seriously! We then boarded for our departure from Dubai and headed for Dublin. Many of the crew on board our Emirates flight were Irish and it was nice hearing some familiar accents. After many games and movie marathons, we finally landed in Dublin, excited to reunite with friends and family.
It’s hard to believe that our Kolkata adventure has come to an end. We leave with happy, lasting memories, new friendships and an insight into a culture so unique and different to ours. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience and, undoubtedly, a highlight of our HCK experience. We look forward to catching up with all of our loyal readers on our return to school.
Thanks for reading, commenting, lighting our India candle at home and for all of the support,
The India Girls 2023 xoxo
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