First morning in Calcutta

“Calcutta’s the only city I know where you are actively encouraged to stop strangers at random for a quick chat.” 
― Tahir Shah, Sorcerer’s Apprentice

The first morning I awoke in Calcutta, I was awakened not by the cacophony of loud crows, chatting friends, laughing kids, honking cars, bikes and rickshaws; no, it was when Raja dropped coins all over the floor in the room next door.  From my enclosed purple mosquito netted bed, I asked, “are you up Raja?” He came  to the door and shared the plan for the day, telling me to rest and take my time to wake up. He said he was walking to the fish market. When I asked if I could come, he said “they will rack up the prices.” He explained to me he was going early in the morning when the fish came in. He  would do this for several days, and then he would take me, after he builds a relationship with them. Then they won’t rack up the price because  they would lose his daily business. This led me to muse about myself. I am the yellow-haired woman for whom they raises the prices. Nevertheless, I love Calcutta!

This is day 31 in a 31 Day Blog Challenge – stay tuned for more about my trip to India! Follow me on my Energy Medicine DNA page on FB!