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.
- 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.
4 comments:
Flat tax! WOOOOO!
Of course they drink cow milk. Have you ever tried to milk a cat?
They also drink goat's milk and camel's milk but cow's milk is the favorite.
Hi Ken, I have been reading the blog. It is very interesting to know things from your point of view.
I wanted to tell you one thing which you added today. "Elementary and secondary education is free." I don't know about west bengal but it is not same with the rest of India. They spend atleast 10-20% of monthly slaries per one kid's elementary and secondary education. You have an option to go to Governament schools. But most of Indinas (95%) prefer attending private school who charge a lot. And college education cost much higher. It can cost more than parent's Annual income.
Usha.
Usha, Thanks for the feedback. My impression from the folks here was much different. Here they say that government schools are very good and that college education is very cheap.
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