Some Food For Thought

Richard Boswell 

Upon my arrival in Kolkata I have been constantly asking myself the same question - when does the show stop? Surely this isn't how these people live on a day to day basis? Surely the vast majority of people don't wake up in the morning having slept in the same place they will work throughout the whole day, this place being on the side of a footpath? Most importantly, surely these people can't complete this way of life with a smile on their face? The answers, however, that I am struggling to accept is that they do do all these things, and the show doesn't stop, ever.

Another aspect of Kolkata, or potentially India as a whole, that has been playing on my mind is the concept of layers. I can't help but think that although we are seeing India at its finest and at its worst to a great depth, are we really seeing India? Let me elaborate, we see people in the market or on the street selling their products and making their living but there is still so much more to it then the part of their lives that we don't see. So far we have only unraveled a few layers of this hectic country. Throughout my time in India one of my goals is to finish this trip being able to say that I not only saw India,  but that I felt, I experienced and I fully immersed myself in this chaotic yet beautiful country.