02-03-2024
The first few day we had a hotel booked in Kochi, as we were not sure if and how everything would be arranged by the time of our arrival. And being Dutch, we think we should be independent and self-reliant. Just look at our endeavours to purchase a SIM-card (which we didn't necessessarily have to do) and to find a laundry service. But on Friday, the first of March, we would move into our quarters on campus.
We got up early that day. Father Shaiju had invited us to attend the lamp lighting ceremony in his church. A new batch of nurses was about to begin the practical part of their education and would pledge the oath of Florence Nightingale. We're deep into a catholic community here, so this ceremony was embedded in mass. It would start at 9am. At 8 Geo came to pick up our suitcases. And at 8.15 the Uber came to pick us up and take us to Father Shaiju's Mary Magdalen Church.
We are not very religious, and Simon is quite unknown to the catholic faith. But this mass was something altogether different from anything we are familiar with. There were poppy songs, played live by a nun on a keyboard, while another sister sang. The church was filled with -again- very proud parents watching their children. And again we were pushed forward and enabled to take photo's.
After the service, Father Shaiju took us to see some more project the church is involved with: An old people's home, for elderely who can no longer live on their own and have no family nearby to look after them, and a hospital. Elswhere in Kochi there is a project that recruits nurses to be trained and learn Dutch and are then sent to Belgium to finish their training and work there. Before Father came to this parish, he was the director of Lourdes hospital in Kochi, and involved in this project. Al he does, comes from a great love of people and of the Lord.
Around lunchtime, he took us back to St. Albert's College, where Geo took us to our room and showed us where we could have our meals during our stay. What? Meals? Al we knew, we would be provided with a place to stay. We hadn't considered being fed 3 times a day also. But apparently we are expected to dine with the Chairman, the registrar, the bursar en two brother doing their social service here. We've been here less than a week, but we feel so pampered alraedy. Brother Rimesh, a young man of 25 with a rather large pair of glasses, has taken it upon him (or has been instructed) to take care of us personally.
After lunch we got settled in our room and had a little nap. This heat does wear you out a bit. At 5 Geo picked us up again, to show us Kochi Metro. He also wanted to ask a few students to help us cross the road, but I think we can manage that ourselves.
We took the metro to the second largest mall in India, Lulu Mall. To show this example of modernity, but moreover to show off the enormous hypermarket there. Almost all you could wish for, is supposed to be available there. And if not in the hypermarket, then in one of the other 234 shops in the mall. Furthermore, there is a cinema, several places to eat (McDonalds, KFC and Burger King, among others) and a whole amusementpark with icerink.
When we came back to the College, we said goodbye to Geo and went in earch of dinner. Weekend! No matter how wonderful, caring concerned for our wellbeing both Father Shaiju and Geo are, it is also very good to do your own thing for a while.
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