Real challenges kicking in...

Hello any one - if any one is still looking at this..
After a bit of a break from blogging we hope to get back to some sort of regular update on these pages.
Well we have settled in now. Apartment organised and school organised, broadband organised andtransport problems largely sorted. We have made connections with a number of locals and met with organizations. Various state and semi state bodies have invited us out to a number of gigs, some of them fairly salubrious. We have gotten to know a number of locals and are acquiring a great social circle, people are very friendly here.

A Hindu and Muslim in Rickshaws



Toraigh and Dara are becoming very well known, many of their classmates are starting to invite them to their homes. Out here you see whole families traveling on 250cc motor bikes through what appears to us to be crazy traffic. Husband driving, wife sitting side saddle and a couple of kids sitting everywhere from the handle bars to the back seat. One parent wants to pick up Toraigh and Dara on her motor bike.. we are not sure who else will be riding pillion?

We traveled to a resort called Puri at the weekend. It is in the next state - Orissa, a state that is even poorer than Bengal and Calcutta. It was great to get out of the smog and noise of Calcutta, I was swimming in the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal, and every day we were basking in the hotel swimming pool. The journey was on an overnight sleeper train, which was an experience! The girls loved it, they were on the top bunks, there were eight people sleeping in our birth, four of whom we did not know. The trains here are about thirty carriages long with every part of them being occupied.

The real challenges are now kicking in.

I am winding up for the production of a sculpture with the assistance of kids from Loreto Sealdah School. I have refocused on the possibilities of using clay as the primary material, with bamboo as a supporting core. I have been trying to make contact with local craftsmen who produce the Durga Pooja models since arriving. I was out yesterday negotiating with one of the craftsmen and his family. The family live in the back of the workshop as most families here do. All I can say is it is an amazing set up and I am looking forward to starting the project on Monday. I will post a few pics after I start. I now seem to have gotten access to material technology and an infrastructure, workshop etc. Nothing here is as easy to organise as it is back home.

The court yard of the school is manic so I will be working in the area where all the Durga model makers work and live - which is a place that I will try to describe at a later date, lets just say that it feels like it has not changes in 1000 years.

We have visited the Nehru children's museum - there is a specific arts rationale to the museum and I have proposed to the director that he might facilitate aspects of the sculpture's production. At some point the sculpture will be located there.

I traveled to Kalighat Temple (Thought to be the source of the name Calcutta or Kolkata because the toe of the God Kali was cut off and landed there), the first journey had to be abandoned because of crowds and so called priests who view white people as sources of income. Some times this place can be a bit over bearing, as certain groups here, especially in areas where innocent tourists frequent, have come to view white people as soft touches for real money. The guide who was with me refused to hand me over to the 'care' of the priests, after being bribed he was threatened with physical violence the next time he returns to the shrine. Generally religion here and our European views of its inherent wisdom is just not as clearly cut as it appears while sitting in the comfort of a pub in Belfast or over a cup of tea in Conway Mill.

some images

Top Toraigh and Dara teaching some of the Rainbow kids how to play the tin whistle.

The Hoogly River in late afternoon (a tributary of the Ganges) The Indian rhino

Our first weekend with a car

As this was our first weekend with a car we decided to be the real tourists in Calcutta and get out and see a bit of the city. Raymie and the girls went to the zoo, more of that later from the girls and some great photos too.

Dara took this photo of the Victoria Memorial from the moving car, not bad? She's got an eye for a good shot. We went to Millennium Park which is a beautiful green space right on the edge of Calcutta's Hoogly river. The river is an offshoot of the Ganges and runs right through the city, you can cross it by two huge bridges, one is called the Howrah and they say it is the most used bridge in the world with millions of commuters crossing between Howrah (Calcutta's old industrial centre) and Calcutta every day.

We went to the Children's Museum which has a huge collection of dolls from every country in the world, enough to give you a phobia in fact. It included a couple of barbies but sadly bratz haven't been consigned to history just yet. There was a great project going on in the courtyard outside, where hundreds of children were being supported by artists and teachers to paint different images around the walls. The atmosphere was great and the children were just getting on with it, with confidence, so Dara joined in whilst Raymie and I talked with the organisers. We are going back this week to do some filming. Check out Dara getting stuck in with paint brush, and see if you can see any familiar images amongst the wall murals, 'lions and tigers and bears oh my!' even in Calcutta, 'there's no place like home'.


Hinduism has two great epic stories, The Mahabharata and the Ramayana, like the Odyssey or the Tain Bo Cuailgne full of heroes and Gods and princesses, flying monkies and great battles. I can't help thinking the Wizard of Oz and Lord of the Rings must have taken some inspiration from these. The Mahabharata is 8 times as long as the Odyssey and Illiad put together. The Children's Museum brilliantly abridges the epics and takes us on the journey through miniature sculptured scenes. Here's one monster who got his comeuppence.


We have much more travel planned. At the end of February we hope to go the Sunderbans, a huge area of mangrove covered islands that we will have to travel to by boat. A conservation area known as the 'beautiful forest' it is home to the Royal Bengal tiger, a ferocious man-eater. It is also home to crocodiles, sharks, dolphins and sea turtles. We eventually hope to go to Darjeeling too, tea country and spectacularly located at the foot of the Himalayas with views of Mount Everest. But for now there is much more exploring to do on the streets of Calcutta itself.
That's it until our next post, Shona, Raymie, Toraigh and Dara.

The Maidan and sun burned baldies

Myself and Toraigh journeyed to The Maidan, the Field, in front of the Victoria Memorial that was the heart of the British Raj. It was originally a large cleared space built in front of Fort William to give the 'gunners' a clear shot if under attack from the restless natives. The Maidan is used for various useful things now, grazing goats is one of them. Playing cricket is another - it's as popular as hurling in Ballycastle. As we get to know Kolkata better it is appearing to be a city in transition. There is real evidence of an economic hub and growth alongside the poverty - which unfortunately is still very real is the first thing that strikes visitors like us.

Anyhow the Maidan is a great place to go if you want to get the top of an almost baldy head sun burned. Makes me think of the phrase, 'Mad dogs and English men go out in the mid day sun'. While I may not be an Englander, I think Irelanders have inherited the sentiments of the phrase. Also makes me think that those weather men who say 'we're in for an Indian summer', need to come here for a while! Anyhow, I have a few more pics taken on the low quality digi cam. I hope some one enjoys them. We are organising projects but until there is something real to say, let's just say the groundwork is being prepared.

By the way Dara would really love to hear from her class, or anybody. Either through the blog or my personal email. A pic of Clio would be classy - Bridgeen.

Until the next time, I'll wear a hat at mid day. Good luck Raymie and Clan

Getting Warmer

Hello Folks
Tues 6th of Feb, and all is going well. We went across the road tonight to enquire about joining the local sports club. They gave us a wee tour round, a restaurant, pool table, billiards table and squash courts. There is of course a swimming pool on the roof - with no water in it. They say it is still too cold! It's that warm we can hardly go out sometimes. But there are people walking about here wearing woollen hats, jumpers, shirts and even coats - and who knows what else! They still see this as winter. Anyhow for us it is getting warmer by the day, although people here say it hasn't started to heat up yet.

With the heat is a lot of pollution, we give up smoking totally when we got on the plane but the fumes and smells are so strong that I don't think my lungs have noticed the lack of nicotine.

A few more images. One is of what they call 'Roadside People', in stark contrast the second is of a property advert that illustrates the promise of the new Calcutta that is arriving, the third is a fairly common scene where people who may have a house of sorts but do not have running water go and have a roadside bath. They turn on a water pump and all shower each other or throw buckets of water over their heads. We pass scores of people doing this every morning and I am starting to get the urge to go and join them. In the hot dusty weather it actually looks like it might be refreshing.

We are starting to think about a few trips about the place before it gets too hot, possibly up to Darjeeling, and to the Sunderbands hopefully to see the Royal Bengal Tiger. We also hope to get up to the Golden Triangle to see the Taj Mahal. Tomorrow I hope to visit the Maidan and will get a few pics of that infamous relic of British colonialism The Victoria Memorial. I have to say it is a stunning and grand building and speaks loads about the power of the British Raj.
Well that's all for tonight. Slan, Raymond and Clan

from Toraigh to class

Hi, I am still missing you all! I can't wait to get back and see you.

In school I am learning Roman numbers from one to twenty! Here are your first Bengali words:
Domer nam kay? means What is your name.
What are yous learning?

I will get my school uniform tomorrow! It is a lot different than saint Patrick's and saint Brigit's. I will send you a picture, but don't laugh!!!

What is the weather like over there?

Is everyone well? Is there any new boys or girls in primary five? When are yous getting a new school building?

But any way, in India it is getting even warmer!!! Here, (in India) there is cycle rickshaws!
After India my dad says I will be able to go anywhere, because this will be the hardest challenge

This is the playground outside our apartment at night

Hello Dara here.
Miss Wisener please give this to miss Higgins. hello class it is Dara. I am having a good time in India . I have started school and my teacher is very mean and she pretends to be nice to me.
hello to yous all and best friends are emer, rachel and orla. I am missing yous all. I have lots of friends here and I like it. I have got 41 mosquito bites. I do not like them. I was on a cycle rickshaw on a busy road, it was scary.
lots of love from Dara.xo

from Toraigh to Cairan

Hello Cairan, it's Toraigh.

How are you and how is Clio? India has been good so far and I have started school!!! But I do not like my teacher because she is really strict. I have met lots of school friends, my best friends are called Sangeta and shrejony. And tell the class I miss them too. At school I will learn how to speak Bengauly! It wasn't that scary at the top of the London Eye, but it was a little bit. Did you know that the London Eye takes a half hour to do one circle?!!!! In India the food is even spiceyer than Chinese food!!

Well, thats all from me bye.

First day at School in Calcutta

First Day at School

Friday the 2nd was Toraigh and Dara’s first day at Loreto Cealda School Calcutta. Despite slight early morning nerves the girls were taken off to there classrooms. Myself and Shona went off to organize a few things and came back to the school between 1 and 2pm to see how they had survived. The two chics had become the most popular girls in the school with new friends and everybody asking their names etc. Toraigh was all buzz that her class had been sitting cross legged, meditating as part of their PE. And Dara is starting to pick up Bengali already. She is really good with the accent. Classmates have told both girls that they will teach them Bengali. When we arrived back at the school Dara was whizzing around the playground with an entourage chasing after her.

A message for Ciaran Hillbilly, from the Calcutta clampets Toraigh will send you a reply tomorrow (Sun), as she is just away for a good Indian nights sleep (we only got the Internet installed last night, Fri, when I started this blog). So hopefully we will be able to blog about on a more regular basis.

Toraigh and Dara will also be emailing the Ballycastle school on Sunday. The girls gave the box of pencils from Ballycastle school to sister Cyril, who promptly sent them up to the Rainbow children.

On Thurs 1st, we travelled out to a rural village to teach with some of Sister Cyril's Rainbow children and other day pupils (see bus pic below). We were teaching a group of village kids who were barely out of nursery school. The subject was English. Some of the Rainbow kids and other pupils who were probably about 13 - 14 were taking the classes in both Bengali and English. I took a short spell at the blackboard and then we all played a few games with them. After classes we were mobbed and cheered; and practically every child in the town wanted to shake our hands. White people, especially with two little white girls in bandannas are still a bit of a rarity in these parts that are way off the tourist trail. There are a few images below. Two packed bus loads went out to the villages but there was only one bus for the return journey - it was a bit of a squeeze - six of us were sitting in the cab space with the driver.

Shona will be a jurer on The Young Publisher of The Year Awards, Calcutta, on Sunday, which she will write about after Sunday; but we are heading to the evening reception on Sun night for a bit of social. We wondered if Sarah could baby sit?

The images below are, clockwise:
1. Toraigh and Dara's admirers in the village square. Shona had some of these kids singing etc.
2. Local children looking through the window of the village school.
3. Children/teachers from Cealda school - some of whom are 'Rainbow' children, on the outward bus journey.
4. The village school bell and bell ringer.
5. A sacred cow.