Last Days of Kolkata

Monday, July 15, 2008, Kolkata, India. Visited one of the most prestigious schools in all of India today. A private school, Birla High School For Boys. It was the first school we have been to that resembles an American School. Some of the best students in all of India come out of this school, which is for the wealthy kids. The students were fun to interact with. In India, Cricket is a passion and the fans are like soccer fans. Every kid, even in the poor slums play some form of Cricket. We were in a multipurpose room with a bunch of boys about 5Th or 6Th grade playing. At one end of the room is a shrine with the god of wisdom. I noticed that most of the students were focused on the teachers as we were new but there was a group of student in the back playing some sort of handball game. I ambled over and asked them what they were playing. They were playing "hand cricket". I asked them if I could play and they said sure. The kids through this sock like ball and your feet and you have to hit it off the bounce using your hand. I was pretty good as I went 3 for 3 and each kid only got one pitch. The teacher group moved on and I had to get going. I thanked the kids for a fun game and they all started cheering and hooting and hollering. The noise got pretty loud. I asked one of my fellow teacher what the hooting was all about. There were big signs on the outside of the room that said absolutely no balls in the shrine. I had just participated in an illegal game of "hand cricket". Tomorrow is a travel day as we head off to Hyderabad. When I first got into Kolkata, all I saw was the pollution in the streams and canals, litter on the streets and poor people begging at every corner. After getting down in the streets day in and day our you find the people for the most are kind and considerate people. There are many religions, languages and immigrants trying to make a better way of life in a tough environment. Education is one way to move up. There was a article in the newspaper about a kid that pasted grade 12 even as he worked as a rickshaw driver for his family. Some students are able to rise up, but for the most part India does not educate the poor and lower caste. It is easy to see how they are able to get high international tests scores because the students have tutors everyday outside of school. Especially after grade ten but as early as grade 7. One student said that a math student can not make it into one of the coveted Universities with out the help of tutors.