Kolkata Feb 7...later that day

After a carefully chosen lunch (I’m working hard not to get sick!), Brian and I were picked up by Tim and his two daughters. Tim is the head of the Kolkata division, overseeing the law and investigations division. He’s a very cool guy, as tall as me and funny. He’s a history buff as well as an accomplished lawyer. He had facts about everything.

Our first stop was the Victoria Memorial. It’s this massive, white house looking museum that was erected in the 1800s as a gift to Queen Victoria. I learned all about how the British ruled/exploited India. I had just been in Paris at the Musee d’Orsay. This place was cool, but the walls were dingy and there were spider webs everywhere. It was no Parisian museum.

As we strolled around the grounds, I noticed that under literally every tree there were couples kissing. It was weird. Every tree.

The streets of Kolkata are littered with abandoned, emaciated dogs. There all over the sidewalks, many of them “sleeping.” I saw one and asked Tim if it was dead. He has a twisted sense of humor. He replied, “No, it’s alive. It doesn’t have flies on it.”

On the way to our next stop, Mother Theresa’s house, I learned two more things from Tim.
1. I asked him about a billboard out the window that showed this amazing complex of houses, swimming pools, lakes and tennis courts. “Where is that place?” I asked. Tim replied, “Oh that? That’s imaginary.” It wasn’t really imaginary, but he did add that when it’s done it will look nothing like the picture and most people won’t be able to afford it.
2. In India, like everywhere, milk goes bad. So, one of the vehicles you see is a truck filled with milk and on the side it says in huge letters, “Emergency Milk Truck.” I thought that was amusing.