Getting the Hang of Calcutta...

Taxis on Free School.

I’m getting the hang of this place. After a few days of being utterly bewildered and discombobulated by the sheer intensity of central Calcutta’s streets and noise, I’m starting to see the numbers of the Matrix… This is still easily the most overwhelming metropolis that I’ve ever visited but the initial shock is wearing off. Unlike when freshly-arrived from tranquil Kerala, I can now appreciate more of the details. The most important thing has been to simply learn how to walk the streets: Calcuttan flanerie 101. Now that I’ve realized that most drivers aren’t even conscious that they’re honking so much (I think that it’s becoming an autonomic function), I’m no longer jumping for cover every time I hear a horn. The locals must think that tourists and volunteers here are crazy neurotics, all jumpy and jittery… So now I’m cultivating their disinterested saunter on the side of the road and getting better at shifting ever-so-slightly to avoid autorickshaws, cars, bikes and the occasional beast of burden.

Dog, meet cow.

One of the characteristic things of central Calcutta is the massive variety of shops on any given street (like Ripon, for instance, which has quickly become one of my favourites to walk). And it’s not just that you have a myriad of services at your disposition that makes this multiplicity so enticing, but rather that you get to see all of the crafts and trades being practised. For there is no back shop here; most everything is up front and, in many cases, the private establishment extends into what, in the West, would be the public walkway or sidewalk. Often too, the street is used as well -- transformed into an autobody bay, or sawmill, a kitchen or a barbershop. So if you have the time to just wander and watch, you can observe all sorts of tools being employed and things being built. It’s fascinating. The streets of Calcutta are teeming with trade practices and lore, the kind that are slowly dying out in Canada, where handmade is a luxury and imported manufactured goods trump reuse, recycling and rearticulation.

Street market on Banerjee.

The street barbers (sometimes set up under a tree, other times just sitting on the curb) are fast workers. The cutthroat razors zip up and down while fingers dab at cream and position the face, seeking angles of habit. Equally ubiquitous are the tailors, both for men and women. Bespoke in India is a natural state of affairs given that having something made or altered is quite affordable for many here. And with apologies to David, my tailor in Toronto who does command superior wools and fabrics, I found an older gentleman here who measured me for a new suit and a couple of shirts – both the price and the chance to support a small, independent businessman were too good to pass up…

Just off Ripon.

Calcutta is one of the few cities in India that really celebrate Christmas so there are lights up all over the place and lots of people wearing Santa hats, which is pretty cute. The weather here is such that I have almost forgotten how hot the past few months have been—almost—and with it getting dark quite early, it does feel a bit like the end of December. We’re not quite sure what the plan will be for the 25^th and New Year’s but I’m very happy to be spending Christmas in Calcutta – it’s an enchanting city... as long as you can get past the first few days of shock and awe.


Detail of the Circular Hotel (roaches not pictured)


Bought some nice pomegranates from this cute lady.


One of Calcutta's major draws, much to the chagrin of many Calcuttans...


One crow stranger, two crows danger, three crows a summons...


Grim, yes, but at least you know the meat is fresh...


The Astoria on Sudder St.


Blanket cricket coverage and darjeeling tea: you gotta love it...


On Free School Road