After my last article you must now very be curious to know of what has become of my habit. No cigarettes yet. Really!! I can swear on the thing that is of utmost importance to me and that is ‘you’, the reader of my blog. So I cannot lie. Really yaar!
Do you wonder sometimes, why you are reading this blog in spite of all its stupidity? Is it me or is it the way I write. When I asked this question to one of my friend he said, “It’s obviously you, stupid! You under stand how stupid you are and can write it very well”. After this I tried to understand why do people love to know about the stupidity going in others life? Because it is fun to laugh at the stupidity of others than at one’s own. If I can make others laugh with what I write, what more I can expect from my blog. (You flattered eh?)
I have not informed most of you that I am presently in kolkata for a short trip of 3 months. What a city it is! Beautiful! Can you guess the reason? Haha. Gals. Since I came from south, where the ratio of pretty gals to not so pretty gals is 1: infinite, I was dumbstruck to find the ratio here being the reciprocal of the quantity that is prevalent in the south. I also came to know that all the major beauty product companies use fair gals from north for their ad campaigns, who do not use any fairness creams owing to their natural fairness to lure the gals in the south to use the same. Gals here never get dark and the gals in south never get fair and the beauty products kept on selling. What a concept of management!! In spite of this understanding, I always wonder why I can’t crack CAT.
People in the city are much disciplined I must say. Every one follows the traffic rules or any rules for that matter. For the very first time I understood that zebra crossing is meant for people to walk and not for your bike to stop between the stripes. People are so disciplined that they stand in a queue even at liquor shops to buy alcohol.
People here are foodies. Southies eat non-veg food only on Sunday but here people eat non veg food on all days except any one day(on which they do puja) in the whole week. People go to fish market instead of vegetable market every day. They know more varieties of fish than the varieties of vegetable. And the food is dead cheap here. A good meal will cost you not more than 25 bucks given you do not care for the ambience. This is the one place where I found that food at street vendors is better than the food mutlicusine restaurant in all respects.
I also found the people of kolkata very friendly. But beware of one thing, if a Bengali is shouting at you, don’t take any offence; it means he is actually trying to be friendly. It’s just that they express the candor of their feelings in their voice. To express your gratitude you must have to shout back even louder, other wise they think you are being hostile. I did that mistake and I suggest you to never do the same to any Bengali. Like a Bengali? Blow his ears with your gratitude before he can blow yours.
Friendliness of the Bengalis is irrespective of their sex. In south, if an unknown beautiful stranger of a gal starts a conversation with you at a bus stop, it can only be in your dream. If the same happens here, it means you could be talking to a bengali. Initially when it happened to me I could not understand whether it were my looks or my hairstyle but when I looked myself in the mirror, I knew my smartness had no role to play.
I have been here only for two weeks and it is very less a time to understand the city and its people. I tried to pen down my funny experience as a South Indian in the city of kolkata and hope my bengali friends take it casually as no offence is meant.
It was good to read how someone from the South, who has just arrived in Kolkata, looks at the city in particular and its inhabitants in general. You have been very generous to us, or maybe, you prefer to look at the sunnier side of life. But truly, as an inhabitant and lover of this much maligned city, it feels great to read a positive assessment like yours, even if it is generous. I might recall the song from "Johnny mera naam" -- Pal bhar ke lieye koi haame pyar kar le, jhuta hi sahi!
I loved your observation about the Bengali tendency to shout when a whisper is enough. You have been absolutely correct.
I have a special interest to learn about an outsiders view on Bengal and Bengalis because I am trying, in my humble way, to study the subject. You can also see my blog, http://santanubangla.blogspot.com which carries my articles on the subject.
Your style is very informal and easy, you write the way people talk. Will read your other posts too. Best wishes
hehehe Zabi..... aacha likha hai i wonder whay can u become the next Chetan bhagwat or something :).... kudos buddy
Hey u gotta amazing blog here :) ....
i disagree about the pretty gals ratio from south.. since i am from south India n speaking on behalf of all south Indian gals ;) ... ( u see it hurts our... i mean south Indian girls ka ego :P )
hey zabi.. u r being too mean.. in just 2weeks u hv so many bad things to say abt south(place whr u actually belong).. aftr ur 3months trip i'l b waiting for ur updates in ur blog.. neway keep up d gud writing..
looks like ur enjoyin ur stay ther... :)
have fun!
@santanu:Thanks for the extensive review. I appreciate your comments. Very soon I'll write some more abt bengalis's this time not in very positive light, and will let you know. Thanks once again.
@Puja:Baloon jaise phugaoo mat phut jaaunga.. :p .juss kidding. I like to be compared with my idol. Thax for reading dear,
@Charmed one.: I think I made this stupid comment as I have forgotten that it is to south where I have to return after 3 months. Just was trying to impress bengalis at the expenseof south indians. Sorry to hurt your ego.
@ashiya:I understand your point buddie. Thx for reading and your comment.
@Shimmer: I already thanked you the mail. :p
Guys,
I ges Zabi is employing a strategy here!!!.
Writing in favor of Bengalis N getting close to them . Lage raho Zab ;)
Got my point eh?
Me and my stupid strategies dont seem to work at all btw haha.
Zabi apne mixed Indian boka Shanmukh ko specially padhaana ye!! Lovely man!! I can;t believe you are writing!! How come I couldn't seeany talent in you earlier :P
suddenly i feel so proud to b a bengali...did u like the food ovr ther? had any rasgulas or mishti doi...if u missed those u missed a part of bengal as bengalis are and will remain foodies...good one:-)
Hi Zabi,
This reminded me of kolkata...can't wait to go back there...still 3 weeks remaining :(
P.S: I didn't know that u write so well.. :)