I’m finally back again, after another busy stretch of work and travelling and some photo taking. It’s somewhat nice to be back in Singapore and back in Civilisation. Yes. Nice to have clean streets and benches and bright shops with trustable names and price tags. But of course you lose some things, things like Freedom, like Ideals, like Intensity, like…
Calcutta this past 9 or 10 days has been a smoggy or foggy place, covered in this dense white layer, confusingly paired with cool temperatures. The sun, never shines brightly, but only with the dull diffused ache that percolates through the particles, smoke, exhaust and whatever other particulates messed as with any other indian city. The same old abundance of Yellow Ambassador taxis ply the roads, mixed with the rickshaws, clanky old buses, trams and pedestrians. The photo above shows one of them waiting for the traffic to move along, hands clasped on the pillar of the vehicle. The openess of the cars gives a certain intimacy to taxi rides. You are clearly aware of the state of traffic, of the people walking by, of the bustling activity both on the road and the sidewalks. You can hear the neverending car horns in all their glory.
It’s so peaceful here. So smooth. and yet the shopping malls are so overcrowded, the restaurants so noisy, and the crowd even more overbearing.
Being the undeveloped place that it is, it is nice not to come across instances of overfed bums, extravagant teenagers, white elephants, silly bimbos, and other tiresome characters. I really can’t stand these people.
here’s a photo of someone getting a shave at the roadside. everything takes place at the roadside.