Welcome to my world.... 3 months in Kolkata, India. Its gotta be better than work- except work is paid ( i had some vague clue what i was supposed to do there versus what i have to do now)...its Spring in the UK and my wife and Family (and friends..yeah thats you lot) are there... whilst its hot here and my best friend is a gecko.
My Kolkata apartment is functional....compared to the splendour and luxury Im used to from hundreds of nights away in business hotels and vacation apartments. Ranu ( my IICP and Mondo Challenge contact) said that whilst she saw better, this flat has one key advantage- this being air conditioning in the bedroom, which I will need come april and May. They keep warning me about how hot it is in the summer- surely cant be any worse than Japan in August – except that the longest I ever endured that was the 10 minutes down to the station- when id be hit by a/c on max, and wished I'd bought a coat to keep me warm. Kolkata public transport systems dont seem to have a/c.
I guess with a little care, the apartment will be really nice- after all I dont need more space- but I have nowhere to hang anything, and I will truly live out of a suitcase for 3 months. The living area has a tv (100 channels....about 3 of which I may watch), an uncomfortable sofa and a curious collection of alcoholic miniatures from minbars and airlines around the world. There is nothing to say I cannot drink myself stupid but the neatness and exactitude by which they are arranged in a glass cabinet suggests that this has been lovingly collected. Im not sure any of them get better with age once hey are in the glass or PET bottles.
The book shelves are an interesting collection of Bengali (so I have no clue what subject they are), Indian dance books, western philosophy and 3 copies ( yes 3) of the kamasutra...There are about 7 miniature statues of Indian gods as well.
The bedroom is just big enough to be for the bed...which counts among the most uncomfortable Ive ever slept in. It's a fold out double that is too short in any direction-even diagonal- and my top half sleeps on a board, whilst my legs lie on a mattress. By day three ive actually had a complete nights sleep ( I was getting really tired having woken up EVERY time I moved the first two nights), but it feels as though my hips are now misaligned. Im sure ill get used to it.
Im still nervous going into both the kitchen and bathroom...i look constantly for the little scuttling of roaches.... got my first within 5 minutes of walking into the place...and having endured a flat plagued by the buggers in my first year at college, I have a primeval hatred of them. Both are basic....but functional. The maid seemed pretty happy with the stove, and i'm pretty happy that there is as much alcohol (mine) in the fridge as there are vegetables. I do need to borrow or buy some decent crockery as the stuff left just feels old and grubby. I thought the camping cutlery my parents gave me for Christmas was a cheap joke- but they are now my implements of choice.
After three days looking at the dodgy looking wiring of the geyser I did try it out and it does provide hot water, which dribbles out through a limescale caked shower head. Joining that gym which had such luxurious looking showers, or maybe the hydrotherapy pool at the IICP, suddenly start to look quite inviting. The shower area is also shared with the toilet- western but with that bucket- the one that indicates toilet paper and the plumbing dont mix.
On reflection Im being unfair- this place could have been a lot worse, and im really grateful for what I have. The other huge advantage is the location..very central and near some great shopping. Its in a quiet(ish) residential area, but close to a main busy street, a Spencer's supermarket (very western style), and near the centre of town. It is secure- the door lock doesnt work very well, but there are 5 bolts ( 3 in, 2 out) and a metal grill on the outside that I can padlock shut. That wasn't too much help the first night when the guy who was waiting for me with the keys indicated to me that he was staying the night...i was so bemused that I wasn't going to say anything, but I used the bolt on my bedroom door to lock myself in, plus the door wedge my parents advised i bring as a precaution. He was gone the next morning, and I discovered that he was the owner's driver- who had waited up all night for me to arrive. I wasn't anticipating a flatmate the first night though.
I have found an internet cafe within 10 minutes walk...the first place was 30 minutes, but the guy who runs the closer place is friendly enough and lets me tear apart his computers so I can wire up my laptop and use skype. At 30p per hour, this is gonna end up as cheap entertainment. Im pretty good entertainment for him too as he sits in the corner and grins at me as I talk. (headset and microphone are my next purchases unless I find a better cafe nearer). There is a restaurant cum coffee bar just around the corner. It has wireless access... but neither I or the owner have managed to make my computer work. Im gonna keep trying this option as it is so convenient, but computer engineer I am not, and there is no readily available helpline to talk me through how to get a DNS connection – whatever that might be...
There seem to be a number of good looking food establishments nearby, so ill let the maid cook 5 nights a week, and sample the local stuff at weekends. Oh yes...did I not mention that I have staff? In addition to the security downstairs... I hear him sing, and hawk and spit early in the morning, I have Shaba the maid. She is going to cook and clean for me, and have my cup of tea waiting when I get home after 5pm each night. She costs for three months what our cleaner at home costs per week, and I have just bought a load of cleaning products so maybe she'll get the hint that I find this place grubby and want it to feel clean. I can poison the wildlife with Mr Muscle..
My morning (and evening) ritual is to check out the ceilings for mosquitoes- 3 down so far, and no blood splats left to remind me that they ate well for their last meal. Reminds me..I must take my pill. I seal off as many rooms as possible during the night so that I can get some peace... the culture of honking car horns is prevalent here and so my air conditioned paradise is kept cool and beastie free. I also have a pet- a large gecko (not quite salamander but i could hear his feet slap when he scuttled away from me). I like these and he wil at least keep the other wildlife under control
There seem to be a number of good looking food establishments nearby, so ill let the maid cook 5 nights a week, and sample the local stuff at weekends. Oh yes...did I not mention that I have staff? In addition to the security downstairs... I hear him sing, and hawk and spit early in the morning, I have Shaba the maid. She is going to cook and clean for me, and have my cup of tea waiting when I get home after 5pm each night. She costs for three months what our cleaner at home costs per week, and I have just bought a load of cleaning products so maybe she'll get the hint that I find this place grubby and want it to feel clean. I can poison the wildlife with Mr Muscle..
My morning (and evening) ritual is to check out the ceilings for mosquitoes- 3 down so far, and no blood splats left to remind me that they ate well for their last meal. Reminds me..I must take my pill. I seal off as many rooms as possible during the night so that I can get some peace... the culture of honking car horns is prevalent here and so my air conditioned paradise is kept cool and beastie free. I also have a pet- a large gecko (not quite salamander but i could hear his feet slap when he scuttled away from me). I like these and he wil at least keep the other wildlife under control
I spent the evening last night walking the area. Its the best way for me to actually get a sense of direction and the alternative was watching West Bengal play cricket on tv. ( ill need to get into that game, but not yet awhile). I live in an area called Hindusthan Park- which apparently is a trendy place to live. Its just behind one of the best places to shop in Kolkata (Rash Behari Avenue) and as well as a load of shops, the pavements are lined with street traders, roadside kitchens selling pretty much anything you could imagine. There was a stretch where every stall was doing henna tattoos for the ladies, and whilst I realise the female population of India is large (500 million I guess), they could all buy a sari along this road and there would still be plenty left over. I will be spoilt for choice when I get around to buying myself some new shirts, as there are also many tailors- including one across the road from me. The streets behind Rash Behari are a mixture of residences, mainly 3 or 4 storey apartments, restaurants, some of which look pretty trendy, others look pretty dodgy. There are also occasional boutiques, an art gallery and even a gymnasium (Karma- my first luxury item was a three month membership tonight).
As I strolled, avoiding the taxis, tuc-tucs and bikes and darkness fell, I must confess even my sense of direction got messed up. A couple of times I ended up lost, stumbling into a block which was little more than a slum- but lined with tiny stores selling single doses of everything from shampoo to cigarettes, and street food which im sure is delicious but somehow not for me...yet at least. The dogs all seem to sleep in the middle of the pavement, and actually in the morning, many people seem to be doing the same thing. There are plenty of dark back alleys ( whilst I didnt feel unsafe, I avoided them), everyone has their windows open and so the smells and sounds of people cooking , eating and watching tv drifted over as I walked past. There are also other smells...somewhat less appealing..but still they add to the overall "flavour" of the place. As well as the piles of rubbish you do occasionally come across the odd dead rat or pigeon in the pavement.
The open spaces are dusty scruffy affairs...not enough rain to grow proper grass, and there is rubbish everywhere. But if there is a patch of earth, you can guarantee that there will be boys playing cricket. Ive seen the players in stumps and whites(very swanky), and bricks and footie shirts. There is an area not too far from me called the lakes and whilst it is also a little scruffy, at dusk everyone goes out to walk. I got talking to one grey haired gentleman who told me it is the only place you can walk and not get run over. It is also the place for the youth of India to come out and court. So many couples canoodling and apparently it is very unIndian behaviour, and not done anywhere else. I walked the area with Ranu the first night, and will probably go there on days I dont "do" the gym.
So that is southern Kolkata.... Ill try and do the centre of town at the weekend... and the mall...
