What you never knew about the New Delhi Railway Station

So many wonderful things have happened during my two days in Delhi that it’s hard to recall them all. Little miracles abound: the elaborate assembly line of skullcap-clad boys in the back courtyard of the mosque next door, making chapatis at 7AM; the delicious chai that a rotation of kind-faced, wrinkled men bring to my door in the morning, free of charge; the way the fog and smoke soften the sun’s light as it hangs low in the sky throughout the day; the unbelievably good-looking young man who sold me the world’s most expensive nut brittle at the Oriental Fruits Mart yesterday; the shopkeepers, rickshaw drivers, and hotel workers who have all gladly conversed with me in Hindi, even though I have no idea what they’re saying half the time, and they know that I have no idea what they’re saying. It’s all been just incredible.

But the best part has been exploring the back corners of the New Delhi Railway Station and the winding alleyways of Paharganj with the folks at Salaam Baalak. SBT has seven “contact points” around the railway station – places where runaways and street kids can come for breakfast, lunch, non-formal education, and basic medical attention. Many of these kids live on the streets or in the railway station; others live in one of SBT’s shelters. I was lucky enough to meet the volunteer coordinator, many of the kids of all ages, the director, some teachers, and the doctor who works there part-time; all were full of smiles and welcomes. My job will be to teach English and other non-formal education classes: to the littler kids in the mornings, at the contact points around the railway station; then to conduct tutorials with the older kids, some of whom have trained as tour guides for SBT, in the afternoons.

For now, I’m looking forward to getting on a plane this evening and flying to Calcutta to visit one of my best friends from college, A., and her family for a week. More news, and pictures, to follow!