Its Absolutely Darjeeling

As we rise from the heat and chaos of the north Indian lowlands our three-hour jeep ride gives us 2300m increase in altitude. As the landscape around us is morphed and contorted by forces continental in size, likewise the faces of the locals widen into more oriental and Tibetan smiles.

Darjeeling town, perched atop a ridge and clinging in a tumbling way down the steeper parts, has a very colonial feel. But compared to the grandiose imposing architecture of Kolkata here it is in a much quainter and polite way. You would be forgiven for mistaking many of the buildings for 1950s railway tea houses albeit crossed with a slightly rustic alpine chalet. This old fashioned England feel exists alongside the now familiar and unmistakably Indian staples such as open sewers (now turned into wretch-inducing mini waterfalls in places thanks to the Himalayan incline) wandering street dogs and various malformed beggars that nicely counterbalance the upper-class ageing English ladies enjoying their 200 rupee-a-cup Specialist 2013 1^st flush Darjeeling tea. (Average price of a cup of chai on the street is 5 rupees for comparison)

Our first visit to the Edith Wilkins Street Children Foundation centre was very inspiring, a very well organised affair And although the nature of this project is a little more serious than others (some of the children here are having problems at home while others may have been rescued from child trafficking operations) we have never had a more giggly audience for our debut show, and Indeed in our first workshops I was impressed at how much more attentive and excited these kids are to learn what we have to teach.

Before we performed our show for them we were treated to one from the children themselves. This being the 3^rd year PWB has come they are already showing some considerable skill in various toys as demonstrated in a well thought out and choreographed performance showcasing diabolo, hula-hoop, ribbons and spinning plates. And ever since our show I have had no shortage of children eager to know when we will be bringing out the Yo-Yos (our new toy for this year).

Since arriving in Darjeeling we have all noticed a shift in the atmosphere and emotions of ourselves and our surroundings. Mountains Humble people; in the other cities we have visited the people are all you see, they become the focus of the population’s attention whereas here we are reminded of things much bigger than ourselves. This is the main reason I think for the peaceful and eclectic mix of faiths present here.  Although technically part of India this place is unmistakably Nepali; a blend of Hinduism and various forms of Buddhism coexisting alongside jeeps proclaiming that ‘Jesus saves’ as well as those extolling the owner’s following of clans such as ‘Chelsea’ and ‘Manchester United’.

The natural beauty of this place has had an impact on us all, with more team members showing interest in rising early and exploring meditation practice. This induced calm (aided by the slightly more English climate) manifests into a feeling of familiarity & homeliness among the group, we huddle around heaters for warmth with many of us influenced by the native textile trade and the sudden need for woolly warm clothing now thoroughly addicted to crochet and knitting as a more sedate creative outlet.

We are awed frequently by thunderstorms and rare glimpses of the Himalayan giants in the distance. Whether struggling up a 45 degree incline after just popping to the corner shop, or being awed by the scenery we are reminded of geologic forces of greater size and timescale than we can ever truly relate to. They remind us of our fleeting existence as a thin scattering of organic life on the surface of this ever changing ball of rock.

– Paul Sargent