India-Calcutta Notes (Part 1)

A few years ago, I had a rare opportunity to go to Calcutta, India for a conference. I saw this mysterious country in person. I would like to share my personal experience with you friends.

1. First sight of India

The time difference in Bangkok is one and a half hours less than that of Beijing, and the time difference in India is one and a half hours less than that of Beijing. After a two-hour flight, the plane arrived in Kolkata half an hour late. After exchanging one hundred US dollars (3,600 rupees, including 100 rupees handling fee), when I walked out of the airport, it was already four o'clock in the morning Beijing time. The organization contacted a taxi to pick up the airport. Out of the kindness of the Indians, we unexpectedly suffered a small loss. The locals spoke very bad English. "Three" was pronounced as "terri", and it took a long time to talk to a chicken. Got what he meant. The one-way price from the airport to the hotel was about 150 rupees online, but was raised to 500 rupees by colluding with local Indians and taxi drivers, and 1,000 rupees for a round-trip (from peerless in hotel to HOWAH STATION). It was really dishonest, but since they After the negotiation was settled, I also confirmed it twice with them and let it go. Being safe outside is a blessing!

But when we loaded our luggage into the trunk, we suddenly saw the taxi driver giving tips to Indian locals (obviously the wool comes from the sheep). At that time, out of face and time, The relationship between being in a foreign land and so on was not revealed. Unexpectedly, I took a taxi at noon the next day and found out that they really dared to ask for it and wanted to add 500. It was so dishonest. We were very angry and tactfully expressed our thoughts to Huang Fa who came to "receive the taxi driver". This man gave an empty explanation and excuses, and it was obvious that he was going to play a double act again at a glance. If he doesn't come to "response", I won't give the driver any extra money. 1,000 rupees is already 2-3 times the normal price.

I didn’t expect that the first Indian I met was like this! Instead of taking care of the guests, they want to take this opportunity to defraud. He continued to act in the next few days, trying to defraud us of tips again. For example, they helped us book tickets, hotels, taxis, etc. Fortunately, we were more vigilant and did it ourselves, so we didn't stupidly fall for it again. However, a Taiwanese and several foreigners were deceived by the illusion, and it was not until we kindly reminded them that they were able to see through the scam.

Later, when we visited the Victoria Memorial Hall, there was an incident when we were buying tickets, which made us realize the "cunningness" of Indians again (of course, the vast majority of Indians are pretty good): we wanted to take this opportunity to exchange points. Tip in small change. As a result, the conductor was given a large denomination of 500 rupees. He fumbled for a long time and only handed me 150 rupees in change. When I expressed dissatisfaction, he shrugged and indicated that there was no money in the drawer? Come to think of it, the huge garden was empty, with only a few locals here and there, probably less than a dozen people all morning. In other words, this Indian local is playing a deceptive trick again. I decided not to be fooled. International poverty alleviation is also conditional. Besides, the ticket price they sold us was already 15 times higher, so there was no reason to charge us another 50 rupees. I deliberately smiled and told him that when I came out in half an hour, I would come back to get the money. If not, I would report it to the "leader" of the memorial hall. The face of this local Indian began to change, and he defended himself in fluent English. We didn't listen and walked away. After half an hour of visiting, when I got in front of him, he quietly gave me 50 rupees, which was the full face value. This further confirmed that this kid was just playing a trick.

2. First impression of Kolkata

Kolkata is the most populous city in India and was once the capital of British colonial India. After the British withdrew in 1950, millions of country people poured into Calcutta without restriction, looking for opportunities or wanting to live a life in the city. As a result, the city's facilities were overwhelmed and its order was completely overturned. Today, it is estimated that one million people sleep on the streets every night, with nothing to do during the day.

Locals call Kolkata the Shanghai of India, a ridiculous metaphor. One of the more ridiculous online jokes said, "Indians said with a regretful tone, 'Delhi must hurry up to develop, otherwise it will be surpassed by Shanghai in China in 20 years!'".

Kolkata is a dead city at night. There are many people lying on both sides of the street. At first glance, I don’t notice it. I just feel that the twisted and thin bodies are like taking sleeping pills. The silence is a bit eerie.

These people were wrapped in dirty cloths, surrendered to the blurry night lights, and blended in with the brick walls of the dilapidated and low-rise buildings. People suddenly had a strange idea - whether this place had just experienced a... Earthquake, plague or war?

While I was staring at it, suddenly, the black shadow on the street stood up, walked a few steps away, squatted under the roadside wall and started peeing, without any shame, as if It's a natural behavior, "he has control over his territory." The pungent smell of cumin pepper mixed with curry and urine filled the streets, making people sweat a lot.

Halfway through the taxi at night, a tire burst. The driver calmly took out the spare tire and repaired it on the street. The taxi that came by the roadside saw the joke and sang loudly all the way. It was late at night, and Tata cars passed by one after another, playing high-decibel music, as if it didn't matter whether they made money or not, and happiness was the key.

The city became chaotic during the day. Early morning is the time for crows, sparrows and wild swallows to stretch their bodies. Among the green trees of Matan Square in the city center, I don’t know how many birds can be accommodated. They flutter through the garbage piles to find food, and they are not afraid of people at all. . The swarthy "citizens" woke up in the morning, lazily carrying water, emptying garbage, folding plastic sheets on the ground, and lighting stoves with garbage from the street. The smoke was billowing all around, and it was indescribable to people who were in it. numbness. Like ghosts without a target, they come and go one by one with expressionless faces. From the overall atmosphere, it is obvious that the city is declining.

There are many old buildings on both sides of the streets in the city center. The hanging ladders built by the construction workers during maintenance are only tied with hemp ropes and are only one level. They look shaky. They are so brave. , holding bricks on his head, barefoot, shirtless, and without any safety measures, standing five or six meters above the ground while working. From time to time, a crow flew past with a "chirp".

In the colonial city of Kolkata, Indians have a special affection for the British Queen Victoria. In the middle of the large green space of Matan Square, stands the Victoria Memorial Hall, a complex of white and elegant European-style buildings. Solemn and solemn, surrounded by clear water and shaded by green trees, the Queen sits on the high platform of the memorial hall, with a majestic demeanor and looks proud of all directions. The museum contains portraits and brief introductions of governors stationed in Calcutta in various periods. Photography is prohibited in the memorial hall, and the entrance fee is 150 rupees per person, 10 rupees for locals. In fact, there is nothing interesting inside, but when you come, how can you miss such a landmark building?

When I got inside, I found that it was just like that, and no photos were allowed. It was really not as famous as meeting.

3. The unique cityscape of Kolkata

I only knew from TV movies that the urban area of ??Kolkata where Mother Teresa lived was very bad and dilapidated. This time, I first saw the crowded buses in Kolkata. situation. It looks like a bus from the 1960s and 1970s, driving as fast as a crazy bull. Unlike China, drivers always sit on the left side of the road and drive without any concept of traffic lights, so they run wild and arrogant. The car was so packed that it still looked like the "caravan" in the movies when I was a kid. Where glass should have been installed, there were only a few iron bars and no air-conditioning or ventilation. Everyone was like sardines, trapped in a "mobile prison." "Unable to move. There are always a few people standing at the door of the car. They are thin and don't even wear shoes. When the car is running at high speed, they are squeezed by the people in the car and seem to get off at any time (many people hold the door open, and they are indeed ready to get off at any time). get off).

The water in the city is quite clear, slightly better than the grayish color in Shanghai. It is estimated to be Category 4 or 5 water quality. Many adults and children were soaping and bathing by the river, as if no one else was around. It is said that Indians believe that the mud in the water has special functions, which can provide health and cure diseases. In the early morning, I saw a man filling teeth on the street. The scene was also very surprising. The young man was about 16 years old. He had no tools around him, just a pile of white clay and pliers. He dared to do it to a man in his thirties in front of him. A man filling his teeth seemed to be facing an animal instead of a patient. Both of them had the same expressionless expression. They felt a little funny at first, and then scared.

There are many small vendors on the street, scattered here and there, selling very few things, a bit like playing house, especially the guy sitting on the stone steps, chewing noodles, has not yet woken up. , started a day's work with dirty hands, and threw the dough under his crotch. The person next to him was still lighting the stove. It didn't feel like he was cooking, and making feed was not so unhygienic.

On the shelves of the vendors, there are nothing more than a few cucumbers, a basket of bananas, and a few stacks of bread. It is interesting to see a situation. There is a row of large and tall cans on the wooden shelf in front of a vendor. The cans are filled with There are different types of biscuits, snacks, and pastries, but they don’t seem to be for sale because the quantity is indeed too small. It's very similar to the way the old lady used to coax the children at the entrance of the rural kindergarten when I was a child.

There are usually dogs around sleeping people. I don’t know if they are domesticated or wild. They are much fatter than people, but they are as lazy as people. Facing the rising sun, they seem to Can't cheer up.

In the middle of the street, I also saw gun-toting soldiers wearing yellow military uniforms patrolling back and forth. They looked a bit like special guards. I wonder how their duties are different from those of the police? In the alley of the slum, I saw a skinny old man gathering a bunch of garbage to make a fire. The flame was not big and there was a lot of smoke. There was a porcelain basin placed above the fire, as if he was boiling water for cooking. He was standing next to him. The policeman didn't take it seriously. The police station is located in the middle of the slums. There are many arrest cars parked at the door. They feel like they are still the bulky ones used in the British Industrial Revolution era. They have iron doors and iron bars. It seems that they can throw a poor person into the car at any time and roar away. go.

In the streets and alleys, I saw slogans posted everywhere. They were two people, a man and a woman, elected by the city government's democratic election. It has a bit of an American flavor, but what's the use of this kind of democracy, no matter how good it is? A shelter for these poor, naked people is far more important than a vote. It is conceivable that before the election, whoever gives these blind people a big pie will have one more vote. But when candidates are waving flags and shouting, they don't pay too much attention to these blind trends. Their eyes are upward. In India, where the gap between rich and poor is so serious, the status of the poor is extremely humble, and their dignity can be trampled and ravaged at will.

Among the people lying around in front of the store, there were men, women, and children. I even saw a thin woman whose age I couldn’t guess at first glance. From the son she hugged and the daughter she scolded, I could see that She couldn't be more than 30 years old. After careful identification, it turned out to be so. But the confusion and futility in his eyes made people feel that worrying might be superfluous. Everyone has their own reasons for choosing their own lifestyle.

Walking beside us, we were obviously a family of three. The father held a very small, black-headed boy in one hand, and carried a large baggy bag in the other hand. Both father and son were very dirty. The older daughter had several cardboard boxes on her head, and the younger daughter was holding a roll of plastic cloth. Move forward slowly. Maybe he just got up last night and is looking for a campsite to camp out tonight.

Generally speaking, people in Calcutta feel lifeless and hopeless. It is simply a dead city. Live when the sun rises, sleep when the sun sets, and so on day by day.