My girlfriend is going to India! What do you guys know about Calcutta? and the Missionaries of Charity?

[BigToquex]

My girfriend is going to Calcutta, India sometime over the summer for 6 months to do some volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity.

This is something that she really wants to do. Quite frankly, I don't want her to go. I just have this feeling that something bad is gonna happen to her there. Maybe I think she'll get killed, or raped or hurt in some way. I'm just very worried, but I'm not going to stop her from going.

We've talked about how I feel a few times...

What do you guys know about this place? Is it a target for acts of violence? Mother Theresa set up this thing and obviously it's a Catholic thing (my GF is Catholic). I've heard that the place follows the Islamic Religion (primarily). Do the people who follow the Islamic religion in in the area dislike the Catholics?

I'm pretty ignorant of the whole issue of the religious problems in the middle east. I'm always hearing about Muslims, Palestinians, etc... maybe someone could point me to a link that could describe this issue as well 'cause I'm pretty interested.

What do you guys think?

 

[BigToquex]

Anyone?

 

[kalster]

d00d

chill its calcutta not istanbul

its safe , its crowded buts its safe

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: BigToque
My girfriend is going to Calcutta, India sometime over the summer for 6 months to do some volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity.

This is something that she really wants to do. Quite frankly, I don't want her to go. I just have this feeling that something bad is gonna happen to her there. Maybe I think she'll get killed, or raped or hurt in some way. I'm just very worried, but I'm not going to stop her from going.

We've talked about how I feel a few times...

What do you guys know about this place? Is it a target for acts of violence? Mother Theresa set up this thing and obviously it's a Catholic thing (my GF is Catholic). I've heard that the place follows the Islamic Religion (primarily). Do the people who follow the Islamic religion in in the area dislike the Catholics?

I'm pretty ignorant of the whole issue of the religious problems in the middle east. I'm always hearing about Muslims, Palestinians, etc... maybe someone could point me to a link that could describe this issue as well 'cause I'm pretty interested.

What do you guys think?

This place doesn't really follow the islamic religon anymore, after India broke up into Bangladesh, Pakistan and India (over the muslim, sikh and hindu cultural divide) many muslims migrated to the primarily islamic states of bangladesh and pakistan. That being said some of your fears might be true in the outlying towns, however I think you might find that the big cities are fairly civilized.

 

[Legendary]

My family excluding my mom/dad/sister all live in Calcutta. I admire what your GF is doing but it is INSANELY crowded and in the summer it is either insanely hot or monsoon season, where the place will flood for miles on end. Literally up to your thighs in water. It is, however, relatively safe if she doesn't travel alone, especially at night.

 

[UNCjigga]

CDC recommends the following vaccines (as appropriate for age):

See your doctor at least 4?6 weeks before your trip to allow time for shots to take effect.

Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).

Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population (I guess you'd hope not!) or stay longer than 6 months, or be exposed through medical treatment.

Japanese encephalitis, only if you plan to visit rural areas for 4 weeks or more, except under special circumstances, such as a known outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.

Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.

Typhoid vaccination is particularly important because of the presence of S. typhi strains resistant to multiple antibiotics in this region.

As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles, and a one-time dose of polio for adults. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11?12 years who did not receive the series as infants.

 

[huesmann]

Don't drink the water.

 

[ElFenix]

calcutta is one of the worst urban areas in the world.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

You posted this thread earlier and edited to say "." after I responded. What gives?

India is not the Middle East.

I am amazed that so many Americans seem to think that.

 

[jayXTP]

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
You posted this thread earlier and edited to say "." after I responded. What gives?

India is not the Middle East.

I am amazed that so many Americans seem to think that.

I'm amazed by this guy, too...

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

 

[adlep]

I just sent him a PM, telling him to edit the post....
It is ridiculous....:|

 

[jayXTP]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

Read the amazon reviews, people that lived there describe the accuracy. Of course, since it is a fictional plot, it might be a stretch, but I've been to urban cities like Bombay and New Delhi and imagine Calcutta to be similar.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

Read the amazon reviews, people that lived there describe the accuracy. Of course, since it is a fictional plot, it might be a stretch, but I've been to urban cities like Bombay and New Delhi and imagine Calcutta to be similar.

I've been to New Delhi and other cities, too. I'm just thinking that the movie probably portrays a negative side. It's like if they had a movie on the life of a New York City bum and saying that will give you a good feel for NYC when it's only a small aspect of NYC life.

 

[Vonkhan]

She'll be fine .. been to Calcutta on numnberous occassions - never had a problem with anything, even drank the water!

 

[jayXTP]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

Read the amazon reviews, people that lived there describe the accuracy. Of course, since it is a fictional plot, it might be a stretch, but I've been to urban cities like Bombay and New Delhi and imagine Calcutta to be similar.

I've been to New Delhi and other cities, too. I'm just thinking that the movie probably portrays a negative side. It's like if they had a movie on the life of a New York City bum and saying that will give you a good feel for NYC when it's only a small aspect of NYC life.

I see your point, but it shows the good and bad aspects of poverty. I don't think it will give him the impression that it is ok for his girfriend to go or not to go. What would you recommend to BigTorque since he knows little about the city? I think the best advice is to talk to people that have lived there or have missionary experience there.

 

[Ameesh]

tell her not to go because missionary work is evil.

 

[Aimster]

If she is an American I suggest she have some protection.
Frankly the police are corrupt and mobs rule India.

Kidnappings happen frequently, but if she is going with this charity I woudln't worry about it.
Going alone I would worry.

 

[TubStain]

As said before chill!

Tell your girlfriend to not sample roadside snacks, american stomachs arent used to (and buuilt an immunity to) the various bacteria present. There are many many people from schools all over the world that go to India, Africa and other thrid world countries and they are usually safe as long as they have some common sense and realize that they are the outsider and will be noticed.

Tell her to beware of being scammed. If she is white, almost all shopkeepers will try to scam her, so she should shop with someone local to her. Her work is very noble and I'm hoping she will be able to change your impression of the world outside the U.S.

There are many people who visit India from european and western coutnries and they usually always have a great time to experience the culture and traditions. If shes going to be there during a festival, she will have a great time. Indians are very hospitable to strangers. Maintain common sense like not staying out late at night by herself, not visiting iffy parts of the city late at night.

New York can be just as dangerous as calcutta, bombay or new delhi (major metros in India).

Hope she has a great time.

Edit: oh yeah and there are cars, electricity and public transportation in India (trust me many ppl think ppl ride camels everywhere)

I was an international student from India and I learned just how unknowledgable most americans are. Then I came across a person who had never left their town and seen a beach...

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Aimster
If she is an American I suggest she have some protection.
Frankly the police are corrupt and mobs rule India.

Kidnappings happen frequently, but if she is going with this charity I woudln't worry about it.
Going alone I would worry.

I don't think she'll really have much of a problem if she's American. It's not like they hate Americans there. But the shopkeepers would charge her more money since she's American

I mean I guess she could get kidnapped, just like someone could get killed here. The police are kind of corrupt, but if you're 'rich', you win! I wouldn't even worry if she was going alone, as long as she uses common sense in a big city.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

Read the amazon reviews, people that lived there describe the accuracy. Of course, since it is a fictional plot, it might be a stretch, but I've been to urban cities like Bombay and New Delhi and imagine Calcutta to be similar.

I've been to New Delhi and other cities, too. I'm just thinking that the movie probably portrays a negative side. It's like if they had a movie on the life of a New York City bum and saying that will give you a good feel for NYC when it's only a small aspect of NYC life.

I see your point, but it shows the good and bad aspects of poverty. I don't think it will give him the impression that it is ok for his girfriend to go or not to go. What would you recommend to BigTorque since he knows little about the city? I think the best advice is to talk to people that have lived there or have missionary experience there.

I've seen City of Joy - OK movie. But I wouldn't use it to see how I'm going to live in Calcutta. I'm definitely not going to rent 8 Mile to see how people live in Detroit...or even City of God if I was going to live in Brazil...they may be accurate, but I'm not going to live in a slum...I'm going to assume that his GF is not going to live in some sort of slum either.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

Read the amazon reviews, people that lived there describe the accuracy. Of course, since it is a fictional plot, it might be a stretch, but I've been to urban cities like Bombay and New Delhi and imagine Calcutta to be similar.

I've been to New Delhi and other cities, too. I'm just thinking that the movie probably portrays a negative side. It's like if they had a movie on the life of a New York City bum and saying that will give you a good feel for NYC when it's only a small aspect of NYC life.

I see your point, but it shows the good and bad aspects of poverty. I don't think it will give him the impression that it is ok for his girfriend to go or not to go. What would you recommend to BigTorque since he knows little about the city? I think the best advice is to talk to people that have lived there or have missionary experience there.

I've seen City of Joy - OK movie. But I wouldn't use it to see how I'm going to live in Calcutta. I'm definitely not going to rent 8 Mile to see how people live in Detroit...or even City of God if I was going to live in Brazil...they may be accurate, but I'm not going to live in a slum...I'm going to assume that his GF is not going to live in some sort of slum either.

I concur with this person. All cities have good parts and bad parts. Just in some cities, the bad parts are really really bad. But I really doubt that your gf is going to end up in those parts alone, or without a guide.

 

[jayXTP]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: jayXTP
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you rent the movie "City of Joy" to see what Calcutta is like. It gives you an idea of the culture of that city, that is, if you've never been there or anywhere in India.

edit: reviews of the movie from amazon.com, link

Cool, I'm going to rent Mad Max to see how Australia is!

I've never seen City of Joy, but I'd be skeptical to view any movie to see how a city is really like!

Read the amazon reviews, people that lived there describe the accuracy. Of course, since it is a fictional plot, it might be a stretch, but I've been to urban cities like Bombay and New Delhi and imagine Calcutta to be similar.

I've been to New Delhi and other cities, too. I'm just thinking that the movie probably portrays a negative side. It's like if they had a movie on the life of a New York City bum and saying that will give you a good feel for NYC when it's only a small aspect of NYC life.

I see your point, but it shows the good and bad aspects of poverty. I don't think it will give him the impression that it is ok for his girfriend to go or not to go. What would you recommend to BigTorque since he knows little about the city? I think the best advice is to talk to people that have lived there or have missionary experience there.

I've seen City of Joy - OK movie. But I wouldn't use it to see how I'm going to live in Calcutta. I'm definitely not going to rent 8 Mile to see how people live in Detroit...or even City of God if I was going to live in Brazil...they may be accurate, but I'm not going to live in a slum...I'm going to assume that his GF is not going to live in some sort of slum either.

Don't missionaries work in slum areas? Not sure, but I'm sure they will come across people from them.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: TubStain
As said before chill!


Edit: oh yeah and there are cars, electricity and public transportation in India (trust me many ppl think ppl ride camels everywhere)

What? They have roads outside America? I can't believe what I am hearing.