Not Everybody Sees Everything

“You can tell what people see when they’re traveling by what they’re taking pictures of,” said our tour guide, Manjit, on our way back from our incredible tour of Kolkata this past Thursday. “Some people are taking pictures of the fruit, others are taking pictures of the architecture…” he said with a smile and a gesture towards myself (I kind of have a thing for awesome architecture). “Not everybody sees everything.”

I thought about this statement for a bit as we made our back to Baptist Missionary Society from an unforgettable morning – not everybody sees everything. From a tour guide’s perspective, by this he meant that he takes note of what people are enjoying and what people aren’t. For example, if a group is constantly taking pictures of architecture, he’s not going to give a ten minute speech about mangoes (which, by the way, are absolutely delicious here). He can assess the situation and then adequately decide how best to continue the tour. However, I viewed this statement in a different light; in quite a literal sense, actually… not everybody sees everything. Which is true, of course. How can one possibly see everything? With all the people, colors, sounds, and smells, the overload of Kolkata’s sensory input while just taking a walk around the block is enough to last a lifetime. So what’s the important stuff in all of this? What am I actually absorbing and not just brushing to the side? What do I choose to take pictures of? What do I see?

Kolkata, India has inadvertently attained the reputation of being the city of the “dead, dying, and decaying” and nothing more; that’s all people see. And while we are doing great work with the Mother Teresa’s homes whilst being here, in addition to collaborating with several other fantastic organizations, the mere presence of these charities contribute to the inevitable stereotype. Well, having been here for two weeks, immersing myself in the culture as much as I possibly can, I feel confident in saying that this city is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

As Manjit had put it, you can tell what people see by what they’re taking pictures of. This whole trip, I’ve been looking through my viewfinder trying to find something beautiful to snap a picture of. Little did I realize until now that there is beauty all around me. It’s in the smiles of the workers at BMS and the Traveler’s Café. It’s in the babies I take care of at Shisu Bhavan. It’s in the collaborative effort to clean the Mother House in the morning. It’s in the temple song the kids at the Loreto school so happily sing. It’s in the people who are on their fifth year of volunteering at Freeset. It’s in the coexistence of religions throughout the city. It’s in the blend of languages spoken by many. To be honest, it’s even in the constant honking that persistently rings in my ears as I cross the streets.

At Brother Xavier’s New Hope School, I played basketball with a few of the kids. We had a blast coming up with new sets and trick shots to try. Playing basketball for the past three years at Saint Michael’s has taught me a lot, both on and off the court. And even though these kids have never been to America and probably don’t even know what Vermont is, I see the same lessons manifesting themselves here. After several games, I sat down and talked with one of the girls I played with. She told me that she wants to become a professional basketball player and travel the world by playing abroad. She knows that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and she’ll keep roughing it out on the court with the boys, but that’s her dream. I’m not sure if it was because I could relate to her journey of growing up and wanting to play basketball at the next level or because I share her desire to see the world, but I was so touched that she shared that with me. Because dreaming is beautiful. And it exists, here, right in Kolkata. And some believe only death can occur.

So, while others may choose to see poverty when they think of Kolkata, I choose to see beauty. Not everybody sees everything, and I’m not sure if I will be able to see everything, but I am so excited to see what beautiful moment my camera captures next.

Samantha Delaney ‘19