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My wake up call came on schedule at 3:30 am. I really stayed up too late last night... anxious about the days travels. For me, traveling to the airport in the US is challenging enough. Doing this in a foreign country where I don't know the customs or security practices is very stressful to say the least.

I was 99% packed before I went to bed so I only needed to shower and pack a few remaining items. Even still the one hours time I had allowed wasn't enough and I was rushed and more nervous about forgetting something. *Aaaagh*. Even still I made my way down to the lobby and got checked out by 4:30 am. A hotel car was reserved for my transport to the airport. This was the same service that picked me up from the airport. The car came right away as when he was called and we were off.

The sun is just starting to light the morning sky at this time in Kolkata so as we drove away from the hotel I faintly see some of the local area people sleeping on the sidewalks, or just waking for their day. There wasn't much car traffic on the roads yet so we drove faster than I had been since my arrival.

The drive to the airport is about 30 minutes even at fast speeds (averaging about 40 mpg). As we sped though the city and sky brightened the streets, more and more people emerged for their day. Some were traveling to the city for jobs. Some preparing for work their neighborhoods. Just like the day I arrived I am still struck by the extreme contrasts here. Tiny hand built shanties shadowed by towering billboards advertising mobile phones, computers, and vacations.

So, we arrived at the airport at about 5:00 am. My car was met by a British Airways agent who escorted me to the entrance. At then entrance I showed my passport and then was asked for my ticket... which is electronic... (catch 22 - no entrance into airport without ticket, no ticket without entrance into airport!)... *blood pressure rising* I was asked to show some proof that I have an electronic ticket... *blood pressure rising*... keep in mind security at airports outside of the states look like mobsters in uniforms that would sooner kill you than help you... he has my passport, I am searching my bags for some proof of an electronic ticket... who has my passport? where did he go? *nearing panic state*... then like a goddess from the heavens above (no she was just a human) the British Airways checkin clerk came to my rescue and told that security guy (in his native tongue) just what to do! She whisked me past his checkpoint and into British Airways Club World! Yeah, I confess, I am spoiled!

Now, here I sit in the air conditioned BA Lounge with food and beverage service, comfortable seating, peace and quiet.

*blood pressure normal*

The Other Side

I spent tonight with the "other" side of India... "the middle class". Shopping, dinner and a brief stop by a "club". I only wish I would have had my camera with me to capture these images. The contrast to those that I captured the other day would be stunning.

Dinner
We went to an average, middle class restaurant... not fancy... this was the kind of place people take there families to, maybe once a month and for special occasions. Like all restaurants now the decor was overcast with the theme of Football (soccer) as India is quite fanatical about the sport. Everyone, everywere is watching and talking about the World Cup just as the US promotes the World Series and the Super Bowl. The restaurant served a variety of foods - Indian, Chinese and some continental. We had Indian. As always, it was better than the hotel's food - lighter and not so rich.

The Club
After dinner we walked down the street to a very modern 5 star hotel. The entrance and lobby were buzzing with activity... mostly well dressed young Indians coming and going to the club inside. We entered without cover charge to a crowded, smoking, dark space BOOMING with popular music from the west. It was amazing to see the thick crowd of people, shoulder to shoulder talking, drinking, smoking and bouncing to U2's "Where the Streets have No Name". Later a live band came on and performed hits from the 60's and 70's ... the Beatles, The Who, The Doors... They had an "all American" sound and the crowd loved them. All I could do was smile in awe.

Now the really amazing thing about this scene was the fact that all of these "young people" were smoking, drinking and listening to loud music and yet NO TWO PEOPLE were engaged in ANY physical contact of ANY kind. This would NEVER happen in America. How does it still happen in India?

Kolkata Comes Alive at Night

About 5:30 I decided to go back out into the streets to take some more photos under the evening light. Much to my surprise the streets had come alive with people. People swarming around the street vendors looking for deals, rushing through the streets like water through a stream. And like always, people from all classes were here, together.

Click photos to enlarge.
Motorcycles are a major form of transportation.
Middle class shoppers browsing the open-air markets.
Kolkata comes alive...
A crowd of young people stand outside the Citi Mart watching the World Cup.
Motorized Rickshaws race through the narrow streets.
The International Piggery sells fresh meat... in 95°F heat.
The "market" was closed today but some vendors were hanging out.
Walking through the dark alleys of the market was like a living Eraserhead experience.
The bicycle rickshaw...
Making suger cane into juice.
Buyers and sellers coming together over mostly western items.

5 Days

... remaining before the long journey home. As wrote that first line I must admit tears came to my eyes. It has been two long weeks. My only way to cope with the complete change in culture and separation from my family is to, in many ways, ignore the reality of my days and nights... to operate on auto-pilot, focused on the short-term goals and tasks I am here for. Now, switching off the auto-pilot just briefly enough to think about the fact that I will be returning soon brings in a rush of emotion that has been locked inside, mixed up with the conflict that Kolkata creates for me.

I miss my family.
I knew I would and I knew this would be hard. Thanks to Skype we are able to talk a lot while I am here... some days for several hours (depending on schedules). This has made it infinitely easier to get through. I did not realize how much I would miss being in the same room, breathing the same air. We have a routine that keeps us in "contact" and it is manageable... but this separation is clearly not desireable, in any way. I can't imagine how the soldiers in Iraq and their families manage their separation (they don't get to talk on Skype twice a day). They aren't gone for 3 weeks... they are gone for 18+ MONTHS! Add that to the fact that they face the possibility of death every hour of every day! I know they choose to be soldiers but I admire their strength and and endurance.

Images of Kolkata, honestly.
If I really look at Kolkata honestly, the images here (most in my mind) are haunting and sometimes unbearable. I have written of the contrast, of the extremes, of the poverty. The images of poverty are nothing that we haven't seen on TV or in the mail when we are asked to help the international causes.... but when you are here, when you see it first hand, when you touch it and it kisses your hand it breaks your heart.

Seeing and touching Kolkata.
I went out today... alone in the streets around my hotel. Many of the local shops and markets are closed because it is Sunday but ALL of the street vendors are there, selling their goods, because for them there are no weekends. As I walked it was clear that I was "different" and for some, a target. Everyone had something they wanted to sell me. If they only knew that I am the most indecisive shopper in the world they would wouldn't waste their time talking to me. Watches, jewelry, shirts, pants, underwear, shoes, belts, sunglasses, scarfs, stuffed animals, food, drinks, cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, bags (purses, sports bags, briefcases)... you name it, you can buy it... all on the streets... just like a big flea market. Prices are... "negotiable". One fellow was selling decorations for couches... large, manufactured, printed, fabrics that you would put on the back of your couch for decoration... his price started at rs 210 (about $4.50)... in about 15 seconds his price dropped to rs 150 ($3.25)... as I walked away... he called for me to name my price... I was just not interested.

Click Photos to enlarge.

For much of this part of my tour I was escorted (not by invitation) by a local man, Kosim (At left: Waiting for me to photograph the taxi cabs). He was tagging along, kindly telling me many things about the buildings and the sites. Of course his motivation was not entirely altruistic... his hidden agenda was to guide me to his shop... the Art Emporium where he sells a "selection of Leather Garments, All kinds of Sarree... Handicrafts & Jewelry".

After browsing a couple of blocks, looking and taking pictures I went into a local Citi Mart store that was open. This was like a small Wal-Mart. There were guards at the door preventing many people from entering. Kosim was not allowed to follow me into the shop which was okay by me. He was friendly enough, but a little pushy. Inside there were many, many store employees (they wore uniforms) that seemed to be "watching" a lot... for shoplifters? The store was very busy... it reminded my of KMart as a child... shoppers everywhere busily searching for bargains... a lot of chaos. I found a package of handkerchiefs (3 for rs 50... $1.09). These are handy in this climate as everyone sweats a lot outside.

Click Photos to enlarge.
You know he is wondering WTF this westerner finds interesting enough for a photo!	Can Wal-Mart compete here?	Trix are for kids EVERYWHERE! Single serving snacks only 11¢
A paradise of products!	Ramen Noodles Indian Style!	Note the Axe products... a favorite of American boys!

As I left the local "Wal-mart" with handkerchief in hand I headed up the road to see more of the local vendors. Shortly after crossing the street I felt a tug at my arm and I looked down to see a small girl asking for a hand-out. I said "no" like I do to everyone else. This is one of the hardest parts of being here because there are so many people here that have so little and need so much that one cannot begin to help them all. As you walk through the streets you see their faces, so needy... you must close your ears, your eyes and your heart. This girl was about 6 or 7 years old with a bright smile and dark eyes and was very persistant. She asked again and again so I took some coins from my pocket and gave them to her. Her dress was tattered and she walked barefoot on the hot pavement. She followed me to up the street as looked at the shops, talking to me all the way -- reciting to me the ABCs and counting from 1 to 100.

Up at the corner I ran into Kosim again who pleaded with me to come to his shop. I agreed as I was curious what his "Art Emporium" might have for sale. His shop was down a hall and up some winding stairs. Here he had a very small space to sell his wares. Pictures (paintings? prints? on paper and silk), statues, jewelry, fabrics, etc... not much different from the street vendors. He made me laugh because the first pictures he pulled out were from the Kama Sutra. Is this what "westerners" like? Some of the pictures were nice but I wasn't sure if it was junk or not. His prices were a little high but he was willing to haggle. I told him I would come back in a couple of days with my friend who would help me decide. He wasn't so fond of this idea which of course made me suspicious but we bargained for a couple of silk paintings (Krisha and Ganesh) for $15. I will have to get Greg to help me frame them.

Pujioy
After I left Kosim's shop the little girl was once again there waiting for me with her big smile. She walked with me up the street toward my hotel. As we walked she told me her name was Pujioy. I asked her if I could take her picture and she kindly posed for me. I gave her some more coins in appreciation and we walked on.

When I reached the entrance to the hotel I said goodbye to the little girl and she took my hand and kissed it gently. She stood at the gate of the hotel driveway watching as I walked away leaving her world and re-entering mine. These are the images, the memories of Kolkata that will haunt me for some time, perhaps forever.

It is Friday morning as I write this... I figure I better post something soon or Greg will start poking me. Sorry I haven't written much lately but I have been very busy with work. I have much in my head that wants to come out but without my Blackberry I have to collect the thoughts and dump them when I get back to the hotel when I am worn out and wanting to talk to my family.

I should be able to give more updates over the weekend but I also have much to do on Saturday as the team here is coming in to work and it is my last good day to go to the market here for shopping. I will have to get up earlier.

Left Hand Walking

If you think that driving on the left side of the road would be challenging imagine taking the left side of the hallway all of the time. I didn't expect this but it seems that I am always in the wrong lane when I am walking in foot traffic. Though people here don't tend to obey many pedestrian rules they do seem to migrate to the left when approaching from the opposite direction. Since I lean to the right |||||||.
You get the picture, eh?

Poverty ≠ Crime

This is clearly not the case here. Yes, there is crime but the amount is so disproportionate to the amount of poverty that there cannot be any correlation between poverty and crime.

Feeling Better

Yes. I am feeling much better today. It was funny to me how many people in the office were concerned about how I was feeling. Kingshuk was the only one that knew I hadn’t felt well over the weekend but the news had traveled fast. Many people asked and expressed concern. The receptionist even went so far as to order me chicken soup and bread for lunch. These people really are quite accomodating.

It was a long and busy day at the office which ended with a conference call to the office back home. It was good to hear familiar voices from the place is still consider home.

After the call I packed up my things and, for a change a very nice fellow from the office escorted my on foot to my hotel. It is only about a 5 block walk but, being night here and passing through the crowded markets I wouldn’t feel very comfortable. I have actually been looking forward to this experience because I wanted to see the marketplace up close and to experience the people there. I am told that this is were most of the middle class people go to by things - clothing, toys, gifts, those little fiber optic lights. Yes, it is just like the flea market at Wentzville!

Sunday Sightseeing

No Sleep
My sleep Saturday night was the worst I have had here in India. I tossed and turned. I could not clear my mind – thinking of everything and nothing all at once. I tried counting backwards from 100 but when I got all the way to zero (that never happens to me) I started over from 1000. That only frustrated me more. Then my stomach started aching...

Earlier Saturday I started having some mild digestion problems but Saturday night it felt much worse. I don’t know if it was caused by the Indian food from Friday or the rich food here in the hotel. In any case I was feeling very bad and couldn’t sleep. I think it must have been 4 or 5 am before i finally fell asleep. This was also frustruating because I had plans to go out today to see some of the sites and do some shopping.

Morning Dribble...
So after a very hard night I woke up before my alarm went off – about 7:30 am. This is not uncommon for me when I am thinking about doing something or going some place but it is frustrating when I am so tired. When I got up my stomach felt even worse than the night before. I thought about not going out today but decided not to sacrifice this little bit of free time. I showered, shaved, packed my camera and headed down to the restaurant for a little breakfast. Since I was feeling poorly I decided to just have some toast and tea. This felt okay in stomach. The very nice waiter’s in the hotel restaurant (there must be 4 of them that serve you all at one time) wouldn’t allow me to pay for such a small breakfast. I thought this was very kind.

Afterward I went to the hotel lobby to exchange some of my money for rupees. For my $100 I received rs 4500. I just wanted to have some cash on hand in case we did some shopping.

It’s Picture Time!
Our first stop was the Victoria Memorial. This was built about by the British in the tradition of the Taj Mahal but with British Architecture.

The outside of this “palace” is quite majestic. Built all in marble with 4 towers on each of the corners and statues all around. On the inside (no photos allowed) it is a museum of history and art. I find it very hard to retain all of this history because there is so much compared to the United States. Here 250 years only goes back to the time when the British started colonization of India. Before that there is 6000 years of history here. One thing I learned is that Tamil (The language from Sathian’s state) is the oldest “living” language. According to Wikipedia...

“Tamil is one of the few living classical languages and has an unbroken literary tradition of over two millennia. The written language has changed little during this period, with the result that classical literature is as much a part of everyday Tamil as modern literature.”

In this museum I also saw paintings of many places in India, I learned about many of the leaders (political, scholarly, and religious), and I saw paintings of the goddess Kali - the primary goddess for Kolkata.

Next we drove to the riverfront between the two main bridges. They say the River Hooghly is very polluted. It doesn’t appear much different from the Mississippi in size but it is much muddier in appearance.

The people do bathe here in the river and they wash their clothes. This is very sad to me knowing how polluted the water it. The reality for these people is that they have no other place to bathe and when they striving just to get by each day this seems not to be a hardship to them.

This river is also where the ashes of the dead are spread after cremation with a type of spiritual ceremony.

Along the river there are many people selling foods, socializing and sleeping.

Everyone looks for shade from the hot sun. Here, people are socializing under in the shade while the street vendor cooks. Today it is 108° F
More vendors selling foods.	There are many types of boats in the River Hooghly.
These women have come from bathing in the river.	This tree has beautiful red flowers. It is named after Krishna but it Kingshuk did not know the English name. There is a version with yellow flowers too.

Driving through the central part of the city we saw many other sites including the Writer’s Building which was built in 1770. This is the secretariat of West Bengal and it is where all political meetings and conferences are held.

And finally... views of city streets.

Kolkata (and maybe India in general) is a land of extremes with many contrasts. Modern buses and taxis weave through the streets dodging people and rickshaws every 50 feet. Buildings of all types from majestic palaces built by the British to shantis and huts lived in by the lowest classes here. Yet despite the contrasts, despite the extremes the people seem excepting and even happy with the life that they know. Even when they see a “westerner” who clearly has more in his pocket than most of them will have in a lifetime rarely do they reach out, never do they sneer, and always they are willing to help with grace and respect.

The Weekend

Friday Night
I welcomed Friday night just like back home. It was good to relax and not have to be concerned with going to the office in the morning. I spent most of the evening updating this blog and reading the comments from people at home.

Saturday
On Saturday morning I received an email from Sathian so I called him up to talk to him. He has cleared up some of my confusion about the cost of education here... It seems that the government does provide elementary and secondary education free to everyone but many people do elect to go to private schools instead. I was first told about this in Usha’s comment. It also seems that the education varies in different states. Here in West Bengal the government of the state is communist. This means that they spend a lot of money on education and things to keep the costs of basic services for the people low. Evidently this is not the case in all of the states. Some of the states are much more “capitalistic” so it seems that in these states things are similar to the U.S.

As for college education... Sathian echoed what I was told by the people here...

“... Infact I paid $100 for my masters degree in 3 years and the last 6 months I got paid $600.Usha [Sathian’s wife] did not pay a single penny for the medical degree. I had scholarships because we are the backward class.”

But I have learned (I hope I get this right!) that not all people get into the government colleges. The way I understand it there are quotas, based on your class, and you must have good grades and pass entrance exams. If you don’t have good grades or scores then you don’t get in UNLESS you pay some money. This payment is kind of “under the table” money or a bribe to get your kid in school.

Did I get that basically right folks?

More Saturday Dribble...
I spent Saturday afternoon taking care of my laundry. You have to sort it, organize it and write it up on a piece of paper so they hotel can account for everything. They even sent my Jeans back today because they had 8 holes in the seat and back pockets! They just needed me to verify that this was their condition so that they would not be held responsible for these holes. Little do they know that I like my 8 holes and would give them a tip if they would add 2 more!

I also took a long nap in the afternoon. This nap was probably too long because I had some trouble sleeping on Saturday night.

I spent the evening fiddling with some work stuff and having dinner in my room while talking to Ann and Emma (Joe is off camping with his cousins and my father). One of the things I miss the most about being at home is having home cooked meals with my family. Now that Emma is back in diving we don’t always get to have dinner together during the week but we usually do on the weekend and, though it may not always seem like it, this means a lot to me. I think it is easy to take these routine things for granted until we have to do without them.

Today’s Lunch

...was served in the office. It is quite common for offices to order lunch in from companies that specialize in this type of service (caterers). We had rice and chicken in gravy with salad and roti (bread).

I learned today that it is very common to have rice for lunch and and bread for dinner. Lunch is the larger, heavier of the meals. Usually, they eat a light breakfast, a heavy lunch and a light dinner (late).

With many meals they have “salad”. Salad here consists of sliced fresh vegetables. Most commonly I have seen cucumber, tomatoe and onion. The cucumber is good (sweeter than back home). The tomatoes taste about the same but they are small. The onions are not as strong but they are still onions.

After lunch we had some of the famous Kolkata “sweets”:

• Rossogolla - “...is produced by mixing [milk curd] with a small amount of semolina to lighten it, and then forming the mix into small balls, which are then boiled in a light sugar syrup until the syrup permeates the ball.”¹ This was quite good. The texture reminded my of a rice noodle but the sweetness was light and simple.
  
• Sandesh - is made from similar base ingredients but adds spices and fruits. Ours had mango and was cut into squares.
  

Other things I learned today...

• Elementary and secondary education is free to everyone and comes with a meal. This is government education. Some go for private education instead.
  
• College education is very cheap. People can study to be doctors at the best schools for about $100 per month.
• Major medical care is very cheap. Heart bypass surgery is about $1000 performed by the best doctors.
• Taxes are about 30%... maybe slightly more but this is all that they pay. One tax.
• People over 65 don't pay taxes and get many services significantly discounted or totally free.
• India drinks a lot of cow’s milk which comes from dairy farms.
  

“Entertainment”

Being alone night after night in a hotel room can be quite challenging. One can only take so much of the BBC News, Star Studio, Z Music, Z News, Z Sports, Z Studio, Z Movies (http://www.zeetelevision.com/) and the Asian version of HBO (HBO with commercials - more like TNT).

Above right: Ken's face immersed in the television searching for something different to amuse him.

My sanity is protected by none other than the iTunes music store. No, I am not buying hordes of music! It is the access to the Daily Show and a variety of podcasts (Point of Inquiry, TWIT, Escape Pod) that keep me from racing through the halls on a big wheel¹.

Ken enjoying the Daily Show.	Ken reacts to Bush's remarks about the Federal (take rights away from Americans) Marriage Amendment.
All of this is simply to pass the time between Skype calls to my family.
1Taken from Greg’s comment. Credit where credit is due.

City Life

Both today and yesterday I had lunch at local restaurants (yes, eating local food) with members of the development team here. Yesterday a driver took us by car to the restaurant. Today we walked about 4 blocks to get to another.

Driving here, I think I mentioned before, is quite a challenge. Many "middle class" people have cars but don't drive... they have drivers. The driver brings them to the office, drops them off and then often goes back to their home and drives their family places during the day. When one needs to go someplace, like out for lunch, he just calls him up on their cell phone and the driver comes to pick them up. This is a good thing because traffic is every bit as bad as it is in Manhattan but there appear to be fewer road rules. Like Manhattan, cars cannot go so fast but they are constantly changing lanes to avoid crashing into one another or running into pedestrians.

Walking here is much easier. It is not as crowded as I thought it would be but the sights on the streets are very extreme. There are many business people out walking on the streets but for every one of these people there are a hundred others that are out buying or selling food or other goods. There are many street vendors - people that have carried crops from the fields that very morning and now they are set up on the street cooking and serving foods (vegetable mush, fresh squeezed juices, popcorn, nuts and much more) to other locals.

You can also frequently see stray dogs. These don't seem to belong to anyone. They don't seem to be vicious or dangerous but the do appear to be every bit as hungary as the people around them.

Both of the local restaurants that I have been to served a combination of Indian and Chinese dishes. The food was actually much better than the food in the hotel where I am staying (except for the Pad Thai I had here the other night which was EXCELLENT). I allowed my hosts to order only specifying that I wanted to avoid a "lot of spice". Yesterday we had fried rice with sweet and sour chicken and Indian vegetables in gravy. (By the way... Sathian was wrong about me losing weight! The amount of food these fellows it is much more than I am used to eating!) I have to tell you that this was the best fried rice I have ever had and the Sweet & Sour Chicken was NOTHING like what we get in the US. It is served in a bowl... almost like a soup with about 5 different vegetables including red and green peppers, squash, tomato and something else I couldn't identify. The chicken was breaded but the pieces were much smaller, bite-sized slices. And finally the sauce... this is the big difference... only slightly sweet, much thinner, not syrupy. You could literally drink this sauce and it would put a smile on your face. Finally, the Indian vegetables were tender and full of flavor with a gentle cream sauce (gravy) that had a slight cheesy flavor.

I forgot to mention the kabobs... both yesterday and today we had appetizers of chicken kabobs. These seem to be quite popular (Subrata, my companion both days, likes meat very much). The Kabobs are made of strips of white chicken rolled with spices and some kind of breading then skewered and grilled.

Was that an acceptable review of the local food, Jeff?

Where’s Johnny?

First Day at the office

The day started very early as my internal clock has not totally converted to the local time. I was awake at about 5 am but I was not due into the office until 10 am - the normal start time at the office. I ate breakfast in the hotel (while listening to torture tunes) and had time to speak to the family.

Family Talk Plan
I bought a Logitech microphone/headset ($40) from Best Buy before I left St. Louis and I have been using Skype to talk to my family over the net. This has worked out very well. First of all, it is free - no long distance charges as long as both parties have Skype software and internet access. Second, the sound quality is better than the telephone. We have had a few tech support challenges at home but we are learning to deal with those together. ;-)
I was picked up at 10 am sharp and we drove to the office. I saw a little more of the city but the office is very close to the hotel. I saw many more people today but it is not nearly as crowded as I expected. It is very similar to NYC but there is much less order (people and cars share the roads and don't seem to have any regard for the concept of “lanes”).

The office is small and modest. Though the decor is much more plain it reminded me of our days down on the landing (except they have a larger conference room). The office is air conditioned with several large room air conditioning units. These seem to do an adequate job but no one will ever be cold here.

After spending the morning getting acquainted and discussing the solution at a high level I went out to lunch. We had lunch at a restaurant in a “Western Hotel” around the corner from the office (we started to drive but traffic was bad so we got out and walked). The city streets are lined with shops not unlike the shopping district of a western city... all of the signs are even in English. There are also many street vendors selling food items, polishing shoes, etc. It was surprising how many people were on the streets with someplace to go. There are obviously many businesses where all of these people work. This seems strange only because the outward appearance to a westerner is that the city is impoverished and depressed.

After lunch, we returned to the office and I met for several hours with the team here demonstrating our solutions, what the software does and how the business works. The team seemed to quickly grasp the business concepts and, not surprising, knew more about the technical implementation that I do. I left the office early today, about 6:30 pm - they normally work until about 9 or 10 pm so they can interface with people in the US.

Tonight I am working to adjust my internal clock further so that I will fell stronger tomorrow.

Audio Torture

There are many things about this hotel that remind me of the hotel from the 1980 movie The Shining. Long often empty corridors, tall ceilings and echoing silence broken only by the presence of Muzak or elevator music piped into hallways, restaurant and, of course, elevators. Last night and this morning as I sat in La Terrasse (“... a French Brasserie style restaurant offering a range of international cuisine from a buffet which is open very early and closes very late....”) my torture began with “bland instrumental arrangements” of Lionel Richie’s Endless Love, The Thompson Twins’ Hold Me Now and Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles.

Now, torture is a strong word but there is something about being in this majestic hotel in Kolkata, India that evokes such a reaction in me. I don’t really understand it but I fear that these sounds could spell certain doom for me in the future.

I am sure that many before me have questioned what makes anyone think that any human enjoys this music. Since it is not generally heard in a place where people are expected to join in with their own voice, ala Karaoke, it seems odd to abuse one’s patrons with this not-so easy listening music as opposed to other instrumentals from any number of cultures or genres (my personal favorite being ambient music). Even odder to me is hearing these dated, western tunes, without their lyrics, in a world that couldn’t be further from the culture of the originals.

Initial Perceptions

It is about 5:40 local time, Sunday. I arrived about 12 hours ago. It was still Saturday back home.

The air was hot and heavy. The terminal smelled like a damp basement. It was before 6 am but the sun was already very high in the sky. The horizon was hazy and slightly overcast.

I went quickly through a short line to have my passport checked... then again... then to pick up my bags. (the repetitive checking of the passport is something I experienced in Switzerland as well. It seems that most of the rest of the world relies on passports as identification because people in other countries travel to and from other countries so frequently.)

Picking up my bags was not unlike an American airport. Conveyor belt. Get Bags. Put on cart. Oh, the carts are free. On to customs.

Not much to say here. The man checked my passport again and took my customs declaration. At this time we passed through double doors were there were many people waiting to greet passengers. I was slightly nervous as I did not see my driver. I was with a British fellow I met on the plane and he was very kind and helpful. He and his driver waited with me until I reached Sujit on the phone. No worries... my driver was waiting outside the airport terminal with many, many more people greeting passengers.

Here I met Satadru. He is the man that set up my local cell phone and made many of my local arrangements. Satadru was very warm and friendly. I say this because when I was in Switzerland the people were somewhat cold and impersonal. This may have been because I was American and we Americans are not well respected in Europe these days but nonetheless, the Indian people are very warm, friendly, polite and very respectful.

The driver was more like a chauffeur. Dressed all in white with a hat. When I arrived I stayed with Satadru while the driver "fetched" the car... a Lexus. The contrast of this black Lexus against the backdrop of the rest of India is very odd.

They drive on the left (like the British) so the cars all have steering wheels on the right. The roads are paved but very rough. Even at 6 am there were many people walking on the roads. Traveling from the airport to the city I saw:

• Hundreds of people walking the streets.
• People working in fields.
• "Huts".
• Under nourished cows... REALLY, under nourished.
• Many rickshaws.
• Many bicycles.
• Many people carrying crops.
• Many people carrying crops on bicycles or rickshaws.
• A lot of what we call extreme poverty.
  

As we got closer to the city...

• Many, many billboards.
  
• Lot's of new construction - Mostly "high-rise" buildings, over 10 stories.
• Some dogs seemingly running wild.
• Taxis
• Police (a jeep)
  
• An ambulance (nothing like a western ambulance)
• People sleeping on the streets.
• A city park.
• An amusement park.
  
• A lot of what we call extreme poverty.

I didn't yet perceive the city to be overly poplulated. This is probably due to the time and day of the week.

It is 6:30 here now and it is getting dark already. I don't think they are on a "daylight savings" time shift. It is also raining a bit. Here is the current weather and forcast courtesy of my AccuWeather.com widget. Hot.
°F on the left, °C on the right.

The hotel (The Oberoi Grand) is VERY NICE. Again an extreme contrast to the poverty around it. It is nicer than any hotel I have stayed it. The room is about the size of larger single rooms in the states but again the decor is much better than average. It is very clean (housekeeping comes twice a day). It has a shower and bath just as you would expect. I will put up pictures someday after I have settled in and it doesn't look like an American just moved in.

Other hotel pleasures:

• Wireless Internet (I already spoke to the family over Skype today).
• In room power converters (I have ONE so this is a great convenience).
• Western TV stations including HBO (though their HBO has commercials... how odd is that?)

Check out the hotel's website for all the sales and marketing...

First Photos

Here are some photos from my hotel room.

	This is the street below my hotel window.
	This is a building directly across from my window.
	The cityscape from my window.