Kolkata part 2

Things that are the same in India after 25 years (as best I remember)

* Two thirds of the traffic is yellow or black/yellow Ambassador taxis. Most don't have air con or rear seatbelts. Many don't have or don't use headlights. Most appear to have tardis properties and fit into a smaller space than the size of the car.
* Queueing and paperwork. For everything. Queue for a form over there, then join the queue next to it to pay. Mostly the queues are well behaved, but people huddle up close - and if you don't - you get jumped. Everything you buy comes iwth a handwritten receipt. Even if the writer has to shift his keyboard out of the way to write it!
* Flyposting. Everywhere you go, every usable surface is covered with advertising.
* Cows in the road.
* Ridiculous overuse of human labour. On a Kolkata street are some iron railings on the edge of the pavement. Behind these, for about a block, are some young saplings and behind them a protective white bamboo fence. I counted 6 squatting Indians using rags to turn the white bamboo green. And a supervisor. And it wasn't even a high quality finish! :-)

19 Oct 2007