Kolkata :)

Kolkata ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata )- 'The City of Joy' or 'The Football City' as people call it, is one of the cities I have visited the most number of times; and I still find it TOUGH!

We arrived at the Howrah railway station recently and found the magnificent Howrah bridge to welcome us... fine! It provides a great view alright (compared to the Cooum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooum_River smell in Chennai, this is far better!) and I love it! But again, this city I feel is much worse than Chennai - I can assure you!

          First of all, the TRAFFIC - it's just horrible over there! Full of yellow colored taxis (ya, ambassadors!) that look like someone has done 'something' all over the city. And guys, traffic is supposed to move! Here, I don't think it happens ( above all, signals should be visible:) ). I have seen people eating lunch at signals (ya, tea & coffee also available) and I think it still happens! This city has a wonderful metro railway (ya, I am jealous that Chennai does not have one!) but I don't think it has done anything significant about the 'traffic on roads'! The railway station also looks like the biggest encroachment area in INDIA - people sleeping all over the station; dogs (animals in general)... it's just too much traffic inside the station too! The whole city itself looks too congested; it's too tough to manage! It's more or less like a big... well, fine, I am controlling myself! :)

        FOOD - When we say food in Kolkata, we always think about the mouth-watering rasogullas ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasagolla )...Yeah, they are simply out-of-the-world but again, that's the only thing that this place can boast off! As an outsider if u go to Kolkata, it's tough to find a decent place to eat. Once I was in a tournament just next to Eden Gardens and I could not find a place to eat proper vegetarian food (non-veg hotel veg also ok). So I called my friend in Kolkata and he said "Go to Park Street!" What??? Take a metro to eat??? Nice! This says it all...

        RAILWAYS - This is a nightmare if you are from South India! (This applies to all places in general above Andhra Pradesh!) If at all you are in Second Class (non AC) compartments, pray God! Yeah, people just get into the reserved compartments and sit wherever they want to! And mostly, they don't know Hindi. Even if they know, they pretend they don't know (it doesn't matter even if they know Hindi ; tat's a different thing!). You are in trouble that's all! Even if u show ur reserved ticket, it's more likely that u ll have to bear with them. U ll get a 'part' of ur seat! And mind u - the so-called TTE (Ticket Examiners!) are most likely to be absent most of the time... In the south, this never happens! And u r most likely to get a fine if u get into the reserved compartments! In the north, it's PEOPLE RULE! :) and I don't understand why we even reserve! Once it happened that, the people got into the reserved compartments and did not open the doors for us to get in! Damn! Come here and see how it is (in the South)! In the south Indian states, right from food to toilets to seats, everything is mostly fine! I think trains like TAMIL NADU EXPRESS never go to Kolkata. Even if they go, I don't think they ll understand! :)

"Discipline is learnt in school!" At least, common sense!

If u are a vegetarian, please specify 'NO FISH!' :) because fish is mostly vegetarian in most of the places here!

I have always enjoyed the metro rail journeys though (Prem???)! They are fun if u understand what I mean! :) U can find many good-looking girls inside metros! ;)

But the buses... oh my God! Jeez... I hope they know how buses look like - again, come to Chennai and have a look! Buses are supposed to have windows; they look somewhat rectangular in shape; some buses have Air Conditioners; place names mostly are written in English (at least hindi for that purpose); and there is a conductor (ya they have a driver who I am not sure has a license or not!) who gives tickets! Enough about the description! And bus stops are marked for the knowledge of the public! (U must go to Kolkata to understand what I am trying to say!!!) The buses are mostly loaded full, yeah FULL, u can hardly breathe in places like Esplanade... It can be one hell of a journey - u travel at ur own risk! And if u look at the tickets, u can have a great laugh (nowadays they have improved though - they look somewhat like tickets!); previously they would have tickets that looked like exam bit papers - u can hardly see a thing! The conductors and drivers mostly have no uniforms (I don't think they even have one!) Ah... Enough said! Go and see the rest for yourself! :) I hope u r not unfortunate enough to travel in a bus in Kolkata! One more thing - the buses (so-called!) do not really STOP! They just slow down! U have to make use of the 'opportunity'! Sometimes life is cruel :) Good luck!

If u roam across the city, u will most likely find people spitting in most of the places. And most of the places look aloof most of the times- I really wonder where all the people go, I think they are on the roads stuck in traffic! Fair enough! Too much smoking too! It's not that I have never seen these things before, but Kolkata looks too special for all these... not that I am against Kolkata - the city of JOY! But I got to say, samosas in some of the platform shops are really hot and good! ;)

Kolkata has a few 'good' things too - the beautiful and peaceful Salt Lake City, the fantastic Eden Gardens cricket stadium, Howrah bridge, the trams (ya they exist), the traditional Kali temple, the books fairs, Salt lake stadium...

It's a nice place to visit and leave! I would never stay there though for these reasons:

1. I am a Vegetarian

2. I use public transport

3. I want to live in a metropolitan 'CITY'

4. I am civilized, at least to some extent :)

p.s. These are just my views - It does not mean that I hate the people and the place. I have great friends in Kolkata and I like the people over there. This is just my 'account' of the place from a public viewpoint! :)

Until next time, have a great life! :)