Winter Pilgrimage

My usual winter homage to Kolkata came to a nice end.

Unlike my last two visits this one took a negative sheen. All the politics around the industrialisation is the main reason for that. I also see a undercurrent of support for those who are doing the antics against industrialisation. There is too much politics in the average Bengali. So while Bengal and Kolkata decays and bleeds the Bengalees continue to be blissfuly ignorant in their agitative mould.

But I will not ponder on the negatives like the ugly dirty taxis, the uneven roads with manhole sprouting like pimples. I would also not talk much about the stagnating bylanes where life has not moved an inch and income has come down. I will also not talk about rounds of bargaining that I witnessed around a 2 rupee cup of tea. Niether will I dwell on the unsophistication that is the becoming the bane of Calcutta/Bengalis.

I also had to face the wrath of the Bandhwagon. I had to cancel my railways tickets and take a flight back "home". Good for me because that helped me to slow down and catch up with many of my old favourites.

Here is a checklist of what I could and could not

1. Routine drive around Salt Lake to survey how my beloved place moving
2. Phuchkas around swimming pool and the phuchkawalah could remember the lovebirds from yesteryears
3. Roll, Chop, Cutlet, Mughlai, Momo from the street side stall
4. Tangra's chinese food
5. Walk around Park Street and Peter Cats's chelo kabab
6. Alipore Zoo
7. Shriraz's Biriyani, Aminia's Chap & Sabir's Rezala
8. Dakshineswar Temple
   

Besides all this there were routine visits to the relatives and in laws and lots of food. Slowly I am feeling like a "Probasi". But do I still qualify?