Load Shedding..
"This is the last and final call for passengers boarding flight MH 181 to chennai..."
Sweet words that sound very coarse on the loudspeakers in KlIA.
2 weeks in Kolkata - not a very comfortable length of time if you have an infinite number of things to do and occasions to attend.
Naturally, thinking it would be winter, going prepared with some winter clothes seemed like the right thing to do(at the time). Minutes before landing, the pilot gives the usual details... altitude, time to destination, temperature outside aicraft, temperature at destination - 30 degrees celcius!!!(what???).
The pilot was not playing tricks on us.
Just as the thought of some cold breeze hitting hard on your face and wearing some nice fashionable winter clothing came in to sight, it just dissapeared.
Opinion - readers, please stop using your a/c's unnecessarily and WALK!!JOG!!CYCLE!! and for long distances use public transport. I know most of us like cool,fast, expensive cars - lets just leave that to "top gear" because really, I want to enjoy my winter in Kolkata. At the rate its going, global warming is making a "rojak" out of the seasons and its weather.
Continuing - winter in kolkata is not your nice and beautiful winter you see in Switzerland or in Perth. If you thought Kolkata was polluted in summer, you should see the place in winter as the air is heavier, what seems to be fog is "dirty" air!. Oh well thats the fun of winter. Your hair gets sticky, your nostrils gets filled with soot and after eating 30 or so "fuchka's" you come down with some stomach problems but that happens everytime.
Fuchka seller
Sliding into the nice and high front seat of the evergreen and mighty Ambassador, the most widely used car in Kolkata and probably whole of India.
Indian drivers known for their maneouvering skills and 0.5millimetre accuracy, they will take you from point A to point B via points E,F,G and H in half the time you would take if you drove. The journey is never quiet, the drivers like to make others feel their presence(vice versa) by using the horn(excessively!).
Kolkata roads
Fuchka's, Rolls, Pakora's,Piagi's,Beguni's,Aloor Dom, Macher Jhol, Mangshor Jhol - aaahhh! and many many(alot) many more!!(not forgetting the sweets!!)
Our neighbourhood fish seller...
Weddings are another thing to see in India, the marriage of two people has never seen so much extravagant decorations, beautiful aromas and everyone seems to be dressed to be a king or queen. Meeting all your cousins,aunts, uncles, relatives you never knew you had and some new acquaintances make the wedding something to remember.
Some of my cousins...
City of tea stalls, Rickshawalla's and pan shops, streets are filled with people having MBA's, working as engineers and in call centres, everyone has something to do and somewhere to go. Be it on a bike, cycle,rickshaw, bus, tube train, tram or car.
If you're ever in the vicinity of Victoria Memorial or Park Circus, look for these symptoms and you'll know you're in Kolkata!
pMaN
2 comments:
aah india at its best.. nice to see these pictures . They look distinctly familar even though i have never been to kolkata before. I guess india is india hehe.. ill take some pics also when i head to india. cheers mate
Prash
hey prash, India is what it is because of its people, guess we're all pretty much the same although India might be divided in a million and more ways. Enjoy your trip man!
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