As is the standard practise now, we have again split up the photos for the day into 3 separate sections so my section begins with our checking out from the guesthouse we are staying in (our bags were placed in storage until we leave for Howrah Station later tonight).


We bought some goodies from the same candy man last night, they are all sweet and milky and i couldn't finish mine cos it was too rich (im not one for sweet stuff)




this is a view of the corridor just outside our room. it leads to the rooftop, where we hung our clothes out to dry these past few days. The gate is locked at night. in fact, our guesthouse undergoes a mini lock down once night falls (around 11 or 12 midnight).



this staircase leads down to the dunge... i mean streets of calcutta.



the view from the alleyway leading to our hotel. the main street is just behind us. (Free School Street)



What we had for breakfast: Roti, chicken masala, egg omelette and chai. total cost about 1.80 SGD per person.



An example of what should happen once there is a fire in Calcutta. Notice there are no fire fighters on board.



This is how the average Calcuttan (?) gets his or her water on the street. Old school water pumps. this is also the water that is used to cook most street food so eat at your own discretion. In Calcutta, there is Street Food and there is STREET FOOD. We only eat Street Food, which is sold besides the road from stalls that have machinery and whatnot in it and a counter top.


STREET FOOD is the food that is sold literally on the street floor from makeshift stalls (made of wood), water from the ground, charcoal lit fires and floating ashes. The dogs frequently have a meal and pee and shit in the vicinity as well. Don't expect to come back alive after tasting this.


Here Elgin pushes the button. Its actually the symbol of one of india's many parties. I believe this one represents the workers and the farmers, or something like that. Indian politics, like a bee hive, is best to stay out of.



Quality technology in India.



An example of a day school in Calcutta. As today is Saturday, we didn't get to see any cute school children, sadly.



Elgin invading someone else's hearth and home. that inglorious bastard.



As we walked along the road to go to the museum, we came across a church along Sudder Street and for some reason decided to go in (because the door was open). There was no service, but there was a man called John ("it's not so long that you cannot pronounce it.")




John told us a lot of things about India. Oh, he also plays the pipe organ. His ancestors are apparently Finnish, not that we could tell, but he was born and bred in Calcutta and has lived here for his 48 years of life. We spoke about politics, the situation in Calcutta and he also gave us some advice before we went on our way.


The first thing John asked us was if we would like to hear him play the organ. Being Singaporeans, we obviously replied in the positive.




He then told us was that it was a bad time to visit Calcutta. Just about everyone we meet tells us the same thing so it must be true in some sense. Apparently the area where we live, which is just off this street called Sudder Street (also the street the church and this LAN shop is located on), is a hotbed of crime, violence and death.


He fished out a newspaper article about this very street which told of tourists getting raped, molested, mugged in broad daylight and a french man who got his throat slit while he was asking for prostitutes. Apparently the gangs look out for tourists, "Koreans, Japanese, just like how you look" specifically to take advantage of. He advised us not to follow random strangers off to random places, not that we would be inclined to do so anyway. Singaporeans are naturally unfriendly people. Just last night, a man approached us selling marijuana but i didn't even notice him and just brushed past. (Elgin told me later)



John spoke about the inequality in India "India is a land of great contrasts" and how 85% of the country is living in the countryside in farms. "That means no running water, no toilets and no electricity. it's horrible." the whole of india is in a mess and the politicians apparently aren't doing anything about it. "even the politicians, their relatives are all overseas...they are multi millionaires..." while the average indian worker earns a pittance (about 1500 rupees a month, where the required or equivalent (to other countries) wage is actually around 20,000 rupees)


Those beggars we see on the street outside are not working because there simply aren't any jobs for them to do. The unemployment rate is huge. The country is huge. This is a huge problem that cannot and will not go away.


A small child runs to the gates of the church from across the street and asks us for money. Her mother calls her back.


In the church, John gets 200 rupees a month to play the organ. the organ maintenance guy gets 150 rupees a month. if John wants to get a raise and goes to the pastor, the pastor will tell him to get lost and hire another organ player. John complains of broken and non functioning organ keys "i get very irritated when i cannot play [properly], but [they don't care]."


200 rupees is the rough equivalent of 6 SGD per month, which is about 4 USD a month. i wonder if John has another day job. Life is harsh in India. "Even the school system is the toughest in the world. They ask you questions you don't know the answers to. They try to make life as difficult for you as possible, which is why when we indians go overseas, we do very well." Interestingly, he echoed Manu when he mentioned that "I know that Indians are not welcome in Singapore and Malaysia."


The pastor of the church has been there for 8 years "too long...too much power and [it goes to a man's head]." and he won't talk about the salary (or lack thereof) and the maintenance of the church. all these issues are kept under wraps. maybe there are no funds; the church itself is dilapidated and crumbling.



John does love the mountains of Nepal and he told us to send him some pictures of the mountains of Darjeeling and Sikkim. We gave him this blog address to make things somewhat easier (hello!)


Apparently, he has also received offers to play in Poland but is reluctant because he does not know the language. His family is also here.


Perhaps the most telling statement came when i asked him if he was happy with his life here.


"I have no choice. If i say i am sad i will be even more miserable."