Shiny wheels

It's holiday time, so one might as well do strange stuff. Went for a movie at 9:20 in the morning called 'Blue Oranges.' A murder mystery and quite an entertainer. Did have us guessing for a while too. There were just a few people in the theater, most of who might be like us, living at walkable distances from the mall.

One thing about Calcutta that I find really weird, which I am unable to get accustomed to is that there is a lot of staring and ogling. And spectacularly unabashed too. By either gender.

After lunch, S & I headed for the Maidan, a vast green park, which is often called the "lungs of the city." We checked out the St. Paul's Cathedral and the Victoria Memorial hall. Not too much to report from the photography front. We'll have to return to this part of the city, perhaps for a ride on a carriage or to visit a few other attractions around the area.

Rather impulsively, did we decide to take a public bus back home. We had decided not to have the car with us today, mainly to experience the city more closely, and what better way to do it that to use public transport. S found her way to the ladies seat while I was sandwiched between two people who were perhaps returning after some intense labour working in unhygienic conditions. The amount of stench I had to withstand did stretch the capacity of my nose I'm sure. A bath was in order soon afterwards.

There was a little thing I noticed which interested me. An elderly, almost crippled lady had entered the bus. She had very few teeth and was barely able to pronounce where she wanted to get off. She had handed over her responsibility to the conductor on the bus. It was something that was almost taken from granted that she would be picked up on the right bus and dropped off at the right place without having to pay a penny. She would be helped, without which she clearly had no way out. And so it was done. Traffic slowed down for her, and despite a bit of exasperation, that I notice comes easily in hot and humid places, the conductor did as he was expected. Calcutta does have its share of helpful people. If it is one thing the city doesn't show, that's indifference.

Dinner was delicious and fun. A bit of nostalgia and an exorbitant tip. Importantly some laughter too. Before the nerves. And then after it.