Calcutta

I originally posted this picture without any description, but have since been asked to say what it is. Perhaps some of you may have thought these men piloted my plane to Calcutta. In fact, they are members of a mahboob band, dressed and waiting in front of a closed shop, a quite typical scene on M. Ghandi Road on a Sunday in Calcutta.

Finally, India! The main reason why I decided to buy a Round-the-World ticket. Originally I was going to spend the whole year in Italy, but was convinced by my friend David Trattles to go to India. Once India became part of the equation, it made sense to either travel around the whole globe, or to all the places that began with the letter "I", which didn't seem as appealing. I was tremendously fortunate to have Dave and his friend Jada in residence in Calcutta when I arrived. They booked my room at the Neelam Hotel for me and picked me up at the airport. I'll never forget that nighttime drive from the airport to the city centre. The noise and air pollution was like nothing I'd ever seen or heard before, or since. The taxi headlights lit up a dark fog of diesel exhaust and the horn honking was literally non-stop. And even though it was after 8 pm, there were cars and people and rickshaws as far as the eye could see.


After my arrival and check-in (all my life's information filled out in triplicate), I was immediately thrown into the madness of the streets of Calcutta. I rode one of Dave's bikes for the first few days until I bought my own from Mr. Ghosh. It was quite a rush trying to navigate the streets of Calcutta and not lose Dave, who has cycled and photographed in over 60 countries.


This is Mr. Ghosh standing in front of his shop. His father, also called Mr. Ghosh is sitting inside the shop.


As a pale face, there are always eyes on you in India, even when you think you are safely hidden behind a taxi cab.


Dave Trattles is seen here beside his photograph "Mr. India" from his exhibition The Boxing Ladies.


The exhibition documented the lives of muslim women boxers in Calcutta. The three girls pictured here with their mother were featured on the poster for the exhibition. One of my many great days in Calcutta was spent with Dave and Jada putting up posters with this family in their neighbourhood.


Dave twirling a couple of the kids who live on the street out front of the gym where the boxers train alongside vintage Arnold Schwarznegger posters. The girl standing behind is the same girl in the Mr. India picture above.




The owner and artist of Jayshree printers in Calcutta, where Dave had the posters for his exhibition printed. They are holding a poster emblazoned with the image of Goddess Kali, the goddess of Calcutta. When Dave, Jada and John got on their bicycles and headed down to Chennai, I stayed in Calcutta and made my Contempt poster here.


Be Cheerful Always To Get Handsome Most
Dave's friend Adam arrived from Toronto and is seen here midway through a head massage (a Calcutta welcoming ritual for all of Dave's friends). Adam and I went to Jailsalmer together via plane and freezing cold night train.


This is my indian bicycle: an Atlas Goldstar. It cost about 60 dollars and weighed about 60 pounds. Here, in week 2 of ownership, you can see the chain guard has already come loose and I have tied it to the frame with twine. The seat has also begun to tilt back. Soon, the seat would get a few welds to stop the tilting, until finally the post bent and snapped off. In my two months of riding I went through three seats and had the chain break three times.



Hotel Neelam: my home on Kyd St. in Calcutta for 2 1/2 months
(click on this -or any picture posted- to view it larger)



A puja here, a pooja there, everywhere a puja, yeah, yeah, yeah! Mr. Ghosh Sr. looks on as worshipers try and wave their hands through the flames of the candles.


A shrine in the temple featuring Ramakrishna on the right, and my favourite, Swami Vivekananda on the left.


In addition to the many poojas that went on while I was in India, there was also this muslim celebration where the men run through the streets play-fighting. I have no idea what it means, but the drumming and running was pretty intense. I managed to catch on camera just a glimpse of the action between two trams, with the famous green mosque in the background.



India: home of Cosio, Hudo Boss, and Woodland. (Casio, Hugo and Timber)