Honk Honk

It takes about 30 minutes to get to work in the morning, and we are driven by IPSL drivers. We leave around 7:20. There is so much honking in Kolkata, it’s beyond ridiculous. What makes it even more ridiculous is that the most common sign you see on the street is a “no honking” sign.

So, on the way to the work, I decided to count how many times Daypaa, our driver, used his horn on the average weekday morning. After I had to stop after 20 minutes, because I was getting a headache from focusing on the honking – as well as being bounced around in the back of a van with no suspension. At 20 minutes, I counted exactly 100 honks.

Therefore, on average, every five minutes he honks 25 times. That means every minute, he honks about 5 times. Which means, he honks, on average, once every 12 seconds. Now, remember, this is one driver. Think of a honk every 12 seconds from all the surrounding drivers as well.

This is Kolkata.

And every time we blow our noses, there is more dirt in the tissue than on the average farm in the Mid-West.

And the only things we buy here are peanut butter, toilet paper, and mousetraps.

Oh to be an American living in Kolkata!! Truly, I love it. I can't ask for more.