In a zoo...

So this morning began the police training but as Julia and I heard more about it and realized that it wasn't at the IJM office we decided that we had other things that we wanted to get done here. We went downstairs and told the men good luck and that we would be praying for them and then we came back upstairs and got ready for our day. We went to the office for devotion and singing. We sang "In Christ Alone" (one of my favs) and then one of the Indian men in there told a devotion on the parable of the lost sheep. It was really nice. Since we didn't have any set plans we offered to help do anything around the office. Since there is a donor trip next week, we helped to clean the aftercare teams office and fill some bags that they give to the girls once rescued. We spent the entire morning doing that and then we went to get some lunch with some of the interns there. It was south indian food, and it was GREAT!!! Oh my...I will miss the food for sure. American food really is not even close. Indian food is just so tasty!! I could go on and on but I won't. After lunch we went to Anohki and to another place to get some gifts and things (did a little tourist type thing). I do have to say something else about food though. We went to this famous tea place called Dolly's and I wanted something iced but didn't really know what to order, so I just ordered something called ice tea with a dallop and cocoa. UM...it was pretty much an ice cream sundae but with chai tea instead of milk. It was the oddest and best tasting thing. I almost ordered a second one because it was so good. Not that I would try and do that at home but it sure was great. When in India....

We headed back to the office after that to meet up with Jay and James but they weren't there so we went to the hotel. We chatted with Jay about the police training some which was good to hear about. They said it went well and even though it wasn't as much instruction as it was relationship building, it was what was needed. I think that is one of the biggest things...they generally know a lot about what "should" be done but they just don't do it, so creating a stronger relationship with them and the higher ups is the key to making change happen. Anyways...they were also really impressed with James and asked him all sorts of questions like "why did 9/11 happen?", and "where is Bin Laden?" Clearly things he knows a lot about lol.

So we came back to our room after and decided to head out to dinner. We needed to go and see Kushboo again, who was very excited as usual that we were there to see her. Then we went to dinner at Banana Leaf and got the same thing that we got for lunch, except it tasted much different. Not better or worse, but just different good. It was a good thing we walked both ways because I was stuffed and needed to walk some to get not so full!!! It was quite amusing though because we were sitting in this room and we were the only white people there (shocking) and literally every person in the room was staring at us. Like obviously...it was like we were in a zoo and we were the main attraction. Moving along...we headed back to the hotel after dinner...and about a block away from the hotel this dog started following us. The dogs here are majority not domesticated and really just sleep all day, but then apparently form packs at night and get vicious. So I was like wouldn't that be great if we got attacked by a dog in India...so we stopped to see if he would continue on and he didn't, he stopped right beside us. And he was a bigger dog than most of the other ones that I think I could take in a fight. (family...these are not ga dogs, they would kill her; i know this because i saw a domesticated dog on a leash and 2 street dogs started after it and the owner was carrying a stick and turned around and went the other way). Crazy. Anyways...we thankfully did not get attacked and then referred to the dog as our security escort. No rabies for me. We are back at the hotel and tired from our walk heavy day.

Tomorrow we are going to Kalighat (another red light area) tomorrow to Sari bari, and then to Sonagachi again to go to Love Calcutta. Both of those organizations are formed for either ex 'line workers' or their children to make money a different way. The director Biju's wife, Anna works with Love Calcutta so she will be taking us there. I'm excited to go back and see them on foot. Anyways...that is all for now.