Odd Things
- Looking out from my favorite rooftop perch at Kalighat, I surveyed the street below. I noticed a yellow cab pulling up outside and two men getting out. Nothing unusual here . . . except that when they opened the trunk, four goats jumped out. I wonder if they were required to pay?
- Taxi meters come in two varieties: older ones and newer ones. The fare registered for older ones require the rider to roughly triple that number to arrive at the correct fare. For the newer ones, the rider should add an extra 40% to the number. In fact, the Calcutta municipal taxi authorities have created special fare conversion charts that all cab drivers carry to help passengers easily do the math, depending on the kind of meter. Who needs an accurate meter with this efficient system?
- Because Calcuttans, for the most part, all wear sandals or flip flops, our feet are subjected to the dirt and grime of the streets. Therefore, we volunteers develop a "perma-scudge" on the bottoms of our feet from all the walking we do all day. No matter how often we wash or how diligently we scrub, this black layer does not fully come off. My friends Paul and Courtney win the awards for Most Impressive Perma-Scudge for men and women, respectively. Congratulations to them both.
