Finding Motherhouse -- (Summer 2009) Calcutta part 3A

August 12 2009
(This is the continuation of my journey through Thailand and India from last August. My apologies for posting it so very long after the event. To start at the beginning, go to http://betsyfrick.blogspot.com/2009/08/adventure-2009-part-1-niigata-farewells.html .)

My Japanese friend and I spent a very pleasant, comfortable night in the boutique hotel. We each had a twin bed to sleep on, and took turns using the shower. She used it before going to sleep, as Japanese people often do, and I used it in the morning. Breakfast was provided for us in a little courtyard through the hallway outside our room: toast with jam, fruit, and coffee. After breakfast we prepared to leave to go find motherhouse. Although my friend was interested in exploring a little, I convinced her that we should find motherhouse first and get a recommendation for where to stay while we are volunteering. We signed the guestbook of the hotel because they brought it to us in our room and asked us to sign it. As I read some of the comments from other guests, I couldn't help but notice that the staff had made notes as to how much of a tip that guest had left. So, since my new friend had only asked for 1/4 of the room cost, I offered to leave the tip. After writing some comments and signing their guestbook, I put the tip in the book and returned it to the responsible staff person.

We set out to find Motherhouse, not really sure even which direction to start going. I had several printed out maps of the city and of the crucial places, but it was still difficult. We got directions to a subway station, and took the subway a few stops closer to where we were needing to go. Unlike Tokyo, there weren't any helpful tourist maps in the subway stations. I can't even remember how we figured out which station to go to, but by asking people and making educated guesses from my maps. Once we got out of the subway, we continued trying to ask people where to find Motherhouse, trying to figure out where we were on the maps. In the end, my friend, I'll call her May, managed to hire a cab for us and the driver took us the rest of the way. It was quite a distance yet to go, and although I felt a little embarrassed at the thought of arriving at Motherhouse in a taxi-cab like some rich tourist, in the end it was the best thing to do. Not only did it get us there faster, but it assured us that we got to the right place. All the streets were so busy, filled with cars and buses and rickshaws and bicycles and pedestrians. It was also starting to get hot.

We arrived at Motherhouse just after 10am. Upon arriving at the entryway we were greeted by two of the sisters, who welcomed us and showed us in. A little ways in we were showed where we should remove and store our shoes before entering, and then were told where to find Mother Teresa's tomb, and a museum about her life. We spent a few quiet moments in the room where her tomb is located. Then we went to look through the little museum. Although it was hot, and I was still carrying all my luggage, which, although small, was starting to feel heavy, I felt compelled to read everything I could. The space wasn't very big, and yet it was filled with rows and rows of tall, movable signboards that went in order, telling the story of her life, sometimes with pictures. They had some of her belongings in a case. After I had read all I could, I went out to the courtyard to sit down. May found me and sat with me. Although I knew we were asked to keep complete silence, we whispered briefly about what to do next. One of the sisters asked us where we were staying, and I said I didn't know but asked for a recommendation. She asked us to wait while she found one of the two sisters who are responsible for helping volunteers. We waited perhaps 10 or 15 minutes before someone came with a book listing places to stay, and that sister recommended the Baptist mission house, and gave us directions to find it just down the street. We thanked her and set out.