shaken. in Kolkata.

I feel very fortunate to have been born and raised in Canada. Over the past 32 years I have also been afforded the privilege of travel. Toronto, being an already extremely multicultural hub I was exposed to a lot from a young age. I feel like there is nothing that can quite prepare the senses for what I experienced in Kolkata, India. My bones were shaken in this foreign land. There are over 14 million people living in the greater Kolkata area (4.5 of them in the core) and that is very apparent when you see most of them flooding the streets going about their daily business.

Culture shock is an understatement. I've travelled a lot. Lived in Guatemala, El Salvador, California, Switzerland & Greece, backpacked through 13 countries in Europe, cruised the island nations of the Caribbean; even ventured across Canada by train. I have experienced and been exposed to a lot. Kolkata shook me. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen with my own eyes, felt with my senses and tuned into with my heart. It was dirty, busy, hot, chaotic, and as a solo female traveler, extremely uncomfortable at times. Don't get me wrong, there is so much richness to this city in terms of Indian culture. It was once the hub of the British empire in India housing many foreign nationals, the East Indian Trading company was practically born here. It is the only place in Asia with a functioning tram system, the only Indian city that provides rickshaw service by foot and is home to the oldest zoo in the country. There is much to see and appreciate. I saw it. I ventured around by bus, taxi and foot to soak up the most I possibly could in 2 days. But within this cultural Mecca is the despair of an Indian society in shambles. Corruption lures deep into the social wave. Locals told me that everyone is hustling with someone. This doesn't surprise me, also, does not sit well with me. Everyone is on the streets here. More than half of the people I observed with shoes and teeth missing. In the already unhygienic meal preparation on the streets there were even some grabbing scraps off the ground, shitting on the streets and looking up at me with desperate eyes and hands outstretched. It is way of life for them, and a shocking reality to witness. I've always heard about how crowded India is, and all the stereotypes that go along with it. It was a fusion of the reality I had imagined in my head and a clearly painted picture that came to life in front of my eyes. Even the most creative mind couldn't possibly dream up the intensity that is this place.