This is the first time I have visited Kolkata. And the city has far exceeded my expectations, which, admittedly, were very low in the first place. But the city has still some way to go to be at par with a Mumbai or a Pune.
Firstly, get those big fat yellow ugly ambassador taxis outta the way. And the driving of these taxis is even worse.
Then, on a far more serious note, is the in-your face poverty. the poor people are everywhere, and their proportion also is significantly high. fortunately, the cost of living is also very low. u can eat a full lunch for less than Rs. 10 !!. Accompanying the poverty is the dirth and the filth that can be found almost everywhere. And people just behave as if the filth and the stench just do not exist, while at the same time never thinking twice before adding to the litter.
Then, the urban transport. The Metro is neat, clean and even more pnctual than the mumbai suburban railway. Unfortunately, it is only 16.5 kms connecting the north and south of Kolkata. The east-west corrdor is left to the private buses, none of which look like being less than 15 years old. and the driving would put even the Kol taxi drivers to shame.
Another thing queer abt Kol is it's transport handling system. Almost all the lanes connecting to the main road aare one-way. It is said that if all the vehicles that are present in kolkata were put on the road, it wold occupy the entire road space, and there would be absolutely no movement.
Over to the night life now. There seem to be very few discotheques, of which only 1, Tantra, seems to be the hip junta's adda...and whatever happens there gets reported in the Kolkata Times...seems the easiest city to become a page 3 glitterati.
About the work culture.... i have not been witness to a single strike or red procession as yet. The work culture in my company is as demanding and result-driven as anywhere else. As for the PSU's, they are bad everywhere, so why single out Kolkata.
On to the sports scene now... the city is absolutely sports crazy. football and cricket are obviously the favourites, but the general level of sports awareness is very high. TOI has a seperate 4-page sports section in it's Kolkata edition...something i have not witnesses anywhere else.
All in all, not a great place to be in, but one that can be lived in all the same if ever there is a compulsion.
