India 2 – Kolkata Nights…

The big bad city of the Bengal, home to 13 million people (give or take) and on of those places that I always held in anticipation. After all, the notorious nature of the city, with the infamous ‘Black Hole’ tag has always meant a certain amount of intrepidation from the lowly traveller.

How wrong I was. Far from being a city filed with woe and dread, it was a city of fun! Fantastic sights to see, the best street food in all of Asia and a city with a metro – always important when you need to navigate around a metropolis. Sure, you had to keep your eyes and ears peeled for the net con, but overall, it was nothing that I could not handle. Plus, I really have to go on about this, the food was spectacular!

So what to do while there? OK, I only spent two nights in Kolkata, so this is only the briefest of write-ups. But I would definitely recommend the following:

1) Eat your way through the city.

I cannot overemphasise the quality of food available in Kolkata. From the humblest puri stand to elaborate stalls with seating areas serving rice and curry, the food of Kolkata is fresh, cheap, varied and readily available. And the amount of fixed price stalls means that there is no need to check your prices with the owners. Bliss!

2) Make some time in the Maidan

One of the world’s largest urban green spaces, the Eden Park is a beautiful part of the city. Along with the Hooghly River, this space provides a much needed lung to the city. Cooling, filled with greenery and grazing cattle, the Victoria Monument and Cricket Ground also provide tourist gems to take in. Simply one of the best parks in the world, not something that you would automticaly associate with Kolkata.

3) Hop on the tram.

Slow, old, rumbling, but the fact that they all originate at Esplanade means that hopping on one of those beasts of the road will always take you back to ’square one’. Plus at Rs4, who can really complain? India’s only tram system, the oldest in Asia, and by a miracle of the engineering crews, still running, despite the government’s attempts to repeatedly close down the system. Ride it while you can!

4) Catch a flick!

‘Nuff said.

5) Take in the Nightlife.

Kolkata really comes alive at night. The air cools down from the heat of the day, and the city comes out to party. Everywhere I have been to in India (except Meghalaya) livens up after sunset, but in Kolkata the city itself changes character. Its life is lead on the streets, with millions of residents and tourists alike coming out to enjoy the air, do a bit of shopping and of course, indulge in the culinary delights that vie for your attention. Forget about slinging back whisky in some lousy hotel bar, if you wan to really enjoy Kolkata, then head out into the night…

Bicycle Diaries (Autumn/Winter ‘09)

Earlier this Autumn, I told about the repairs I had to do to my bike. Well, I had to do a lot more recently. On Saturday I was biking away when ‘pop’ went my rear wheel. It was going for a while anyhow, and it finally went. Luckily I got into work on time but it meant I was without a bike for three days – and so I faced the torture of public transport for that time.

Now, I have spent a pretty penny on this bicycle, but considering that I have got a good 13 months out of it, I am happy to do so. New rear tyre, inner tubing, wheel, chain and casstte. Hopefully the repairs I have made will last another year and the workmanship seems good. The bike looks a bit funky, half of it is old, half of it brand new, but it feels great to ride. And considering the mileage I get out of it, if it lasts two months without any incident, then I would have easily made up what I would have spent on petrol.

The economics of transport…

‘Baby on Board’

It is not often that public transport makes you smile.

But yesterday, I read that a woman had given birth on a bus last week! Apparently, baby ‘Dennis’ is the first child to have been born on London’s buses! Congratulations to all concerned and most importantly, thank goodness the baby was born without any complications and that both mother and child are doing well. I think the driver did a sterling job. London may be a harsh city, but there is still a lot of compassion left in this town…

Article – click to read!

The video of mother and baby, both looking very healthy!

Smile

It is something that I have not done often recently. That is a shame. There is no reason no to smile, I am healthy, not bankrupt and the sun is shining. Yet, I am not smiling. Especially Saturday, I believe I spent the whole day not smiling. Lost in a cloud of my own thoughts. And yet, I should get smiling again. I will do. I promise. But today is not a day for grinning innately..

London Diary (2)

‘M’ had enough, so he switched off his phone. Enough of the lies, enough of the sulking around in the background. All he wanted was something normal, without any hang-ups, but as always he realised, there was always hang-ups involved, no matter how simple you try to make it. And that was the problem, no matter how well adjusted a person might seem, there was always something beneath the surface, that glossy outlook on the world that when scratched would unleash the complexities of the soul.

A cup of coffee was needed, hell if he had not been tee-total all of these years, a drink would have sufficed. After that accident, he realised he needed help. ‘M’ managed to turn his life around, but why couldn’t she? Was it really that hard to see the self destructive path that he had set herself on? The kettle boiled, and he quickly poured a cup. He despised coffee, but it was ’something’ to put down his throat. The hot liquid burnt his lips, but somehow that no longer mattered anymore…

The rich get richer…

Money is good. There, I have said it. Just in case many of you think I am some mini-socialist on a computer, I am not I am a damn capitalist pig. I like capitalism, I like the way it, over other forms of monetary policy, gives the most freedom to the individual and reduces government dictates into your life. But I hate government managed capitalism. In the sense that during the good times, government keeps out and during the bad times, they prop up the system.

The whole point of getting capitalism to work is that the bad companies, the individuals who are incompetent are made to go bankrupt and loose their ability to con and swindle the public (I may like capitalism, but I am under no illusions to what its purpose is), while the good companies can continue to screw the public for what they are prepared to pay.

Good governments save up the tax receipts in the good times, so that in periods of slumps, they can manage the fall out, keep essential services running and keep the tax rate stable so that companies that are surviving, do not have the horrible shock of rising taxes during a recovery.

California has completely failed in this. Look closely, as what is happening over there, will be happening in the UK after May next year. At the moment, there is a lot of posturing due to the upcoming election. Once that is over, all hell will break loose and this ‘phoney recession’ that we are living through will suddenly bottom out.

If our politicians had any guts, they would have let those banks hit the wall. But there would have been a regulatory process in place to ensure that governments could have taken over the running of the essential services such as transfer of wage payments, withdrawals & deposits and debt repayments. Instead, the ‘light touch’ economy of the UK is hopelessly inadequate at doing anything much other than skimming taxes from business and enjoying long lunches in The City with the boys in suits.

And so these banks continue to survive, with the same people who f**ked about with our money, now screwing about with our taxes. Those long lunches are still going on, and the rich, well, they are getting richer.

The average house price in London is £260,000 (about $420,000). The average London wage per year is £26,000. Sensible lending gives a guide of three to four times the annual wage for the handing out of a mortgage to ensure affordability and guaranteed repayments. For an average worker he must take out a mortgage TEN times his salary in order to buy the average house in London.

I hate to be blunt, but house prices will not be coming down anytime soon. And let us be honest, if I wanted to live an ‘average life’, I would have to slave in a fantastically paid job to be able to afford just an average dwelling. I am very happy to see the fruits of success, but something tells me, there is still a huge lopsidedness in the economy of the UK. After all, why are house prices so high in London? Did we find oil, is there a gold rush, was some new technology invented that made Tower Hamlets the new Silicon Valley?

No. House prices went up because, firstly, there are a lot more singletons in London (either marrying later or divorces), thereby driving up demand. Secondly, people are living longer, which means there are more elderly people who remain in their house. Thirdly, the population has gone up, both through births and migration (internally, EU and beyond the EU). Fourthly, the Green Belt, a hackneyed 70 year old piece of planning means that London cannot expand naturally to cope with its population. All of this has lead house prices to be higher. But TEN times higher than the average wage? Surely, the income of people would have kept a check on demand?

Oh yes, those banks. How else can people get a mortgage? Well, they go to their bank. Fill out a few forms. Chat, discuss over coffee/wine and then get the keys to their new abode. The renovate it according to the latest TV programme’s style and wait to sell at a higher price. Except…well, there is only a finite amount of money in the bank.

At the moment, I am one of the ‘lucky’ ones. I did not rush to buy a house, and so I am debt free (although, not exactly living ‘well’, I am living within my means). However, there are a lot of people who are struggling right now to live. And that is with interest rates at a record low. They will increase in the future, no currency can continue to take a battering like Sterling has in recent months. And then what?

There will be a lot of repossessions. A lot of people made homeless. Yet, somewhere, somehow, those crooked banks that have supplied the mortgages in the first place will get their cash back. They are the ones who helped to inflate house prices to ten times the average wage, since, after all, without a mortgage, you cannot afford to buy that property. And so, while there will be the destitute and the homeless, barely covered by the state, someone will be in that winebar on Friday night, sipping champagne with friends and thinking how smart they are.

It’s nice when you have a government subsidy backing you up, isn’t it?

The laws of blogging by Charlie…

LAW 1: The amount written on this blog is inversely proportional to the amount written beyond.

(In other words, the more I write here, the less I am writing outside this electronic portal)

LAW 2: Never get too personal.

(Absolutely. While this blog can sometimes get fiery, I never reveal too much. My personal and family life is strictly off limits)

LAW 3: No religion.

(I do not want the hassle. My personal beliefs remain my own)

LAW 4: Quality rather than quantity.

(I try, but as this is a nearly daily blog, that can get tricky)

LAW 5: Plan the blog posts.

(I would say about 50% of my blogs are planned, the rest is off the top of my head. The amount of planing can vary from a simple idea brewing in my head, to a full scale draft and research)

LAW 6: Simplify but do not patronise.

(That helps me with my scripts too)

LAW 7: Have fun!

Meanwhile, back in the UK…

So what happened while I was away. Well, um, that’s a good question, as I did not check out the news while abroad. Well, a few thing. Firstly, my green button has returned! Who says that no one reads this blog…(me?)…it really is the little things that make me smile. Oh, and talking about my seer saying, the news that Boris is going to raise TfL’s fare rises and cut bus services reminds me of the good old days of the 1990’s…and finally, well, there really is no finally, I’m too pooped to blog anymore….two hours sleep, I think I am back to normal!

Crossings over the Hugli River 1 – The Howrah Bridge

(Until January 2010, my monthly series of Crossings on the River Thames will temporarily be on hold. There is a good reason for this…)

Kolkata, a name seeped with intrigue and fear. The big bad city of the Bengal, a seemingly overcrowded den of inequity with beggars on every corner and filth floating in the streets. Yes, while it is a dirty place and yes while there is plenty of poverty, do not underestimate the beauty of this city. It is a rough gem on the Ganges Delta and a thriving metropolis. With an enviable colonial heritage, its streets and passageways are filled with gems to the eye. And of all of these structures, what else is more impressive than the famed Howrah Bridge also known as the Rabindra Setu.

Famed throughout the world as a landmark of Kolkata, it is rightly so. While wandering through the maze of Kolkata’s backstreets, it is easy to spot this structure a fair way off, such is its size. Rising as it does above the Hugli river, the Howrah Bridge dominates the riverside skyline. Since India’s independence, more crossings have been built over the Hugli, but they still cannot match the style of the Howrah’s impressive profile.

Over the Holy Ganges I went, into Howrah. And wow, what a mass of humanity that was using the bridge! Cars and buses thundered over the structure and I was joined by thousands of people on foot, crossing the sacred waters below. This bridge was one of those reasons why I came to Kolkata. To see this famed place, and possibly India’s busiest crossing point. If you want to see a slice of a nation, this is it. Rich and poor alike, many stopped to take in the views of the river and the city on either side of the river. I was not just merely crossing a river, but I was crossing history. Below me, the waters have taken the souls of millions to their final resting place. And with each passing vehicle, the bridge shook a little. A little hair raising, but this bridge has been standing for more than sixty years. It can take the knocks.

I will cross many rivers in my lifetime, and I have already been on structures far bigger than the Howrah Bridge. But none of them have held the fascination quite as much as this lynchpin in Kolkata’s infrastructure. Maybe it is the seemingly chaotic way in which people mass onto the bridge. Maybe it is because I have crossed the Ganges on foot rather than in a vehicle. But I think it is just the fact that it is such a beautiful piece of engineering. It should not be standing considering the soft mud beneath it, but it does. And today, it takes on the modern world. It is almost a metaphor for the nation itself. Despite the knocks and the bruises it has taken, despite the chaos and the mayhem that is India, it still stands and thrives. If the world has not realised it yet, then maybe it is time to wake up. The future is already here. And it is not China…

Bicycle Diaries (Autumn)

Shockingly, I have had this bicycle for over a year. And for eleven months, it has run pretty well. In fact, it is the longest lasting bike that I have ever owned. Now remember, I use my bicycle almost everyday. Not because I am some fitness freak (although there is an element of health to consider), but mainly due to convenience and expense. Petrol is shockingly expensive in the UK, and has risen to over a pound a litre (for anyone in the US, that is around $8 per gallon, for anyone in Europe, that is approx €1.40/l). As this week, I had to repair my bike instead of ride it, I have spent the best part of £20 on petrol, and that is not even driving everyday. This is not an expense I want to occur.

Secondly, the car is very unreliable in terms of traffic. Am I going to get somewhere? How long will it take? Will I get a parking space? All of these things must be taken into consideration. Despite the greater speed of a car, the distances that I am travelling means the time saving is not as much as I think. And I have to leave extra time to account for traffic. On a bicycle, the travelling time is pretty much static, dependent on how tired I am rather than how much traffic there is. Driving in London is an exercise in futility, especially in the daytime, where the time saved is negligible.

But this week, I have had to undertake some repairs. As you can see from the photo, the rear wheel is different from the front wheel . That is because, my back wheel buckled a few weeks ago, so I did a straight swap between my old bike wheel and current one. It is fine for now, although I will have to replace it come winter, otherwise I will skid on the frost.

Also, my saddle broke. This is quite embarrassing, but basically, I do not always cycle with my hands on the handlebar. Early mornings, late evenings, there is no traffic, and so with the roads to myself, I will wobble all over the place without balancing myself in the correct riding position. Great if coming off night duty, and hey, I look cool, but it is awful for the bike. Hence the buckled back wheel and the fact that I managed to shear through the half an inch thick of solid chrome that my saddle bar was made of.

I did go tot the cycle shop, but obviously they have not heard of the current rate of inflation. Like the rest of real world, inflation was not a few pounds increase, but a hundred pounds extra for exactly the same model. I was prepared to pay £200 for a bike (the amount I use it makes it worthwhile). But £300 was not even conceivable. So instead I bought a saddle post and clip and repaired the saddle myself. I will also have to spend cash on a new back wheel, bringing the current cost of repairs up to £90. Expensive, but considering this bike still has a lot of life left in it, and the amount of mileage I also get out of it, I hopefully will be able to get another good year’s worth of riding out of it, but there is no way in hell I will pay £300 for a bike.

Come on, this is London, and anything that expensive is going to get stolen before I even put the locks on.

But winter is coming, time to ready the bike for the last part of 2009…