I needed to go to the local bank in the morning with my Mum to get some paperwork updated. Ben came along and we spent about an hour at the branch. I even tasked Ben with queuing up for a teller to submit a cheque – which was a bit interesting with the language barrier. On the walk back we listed the top 5 things that are different in the banking experience between the two countries

1. There is a security guard at the door with a very visible and large gun slung over his shoulder.
2. There are more staff than there are customers and hence there is no need to line up and wait.
3. There is a bank of “relationship managers” and you just tell one what you need done and they collect all the paperwork and even fill it in for you while you sit back and relax.
4. Anyone sitting behind a desk does not leave the desk and they have “associates” who do all the running around – like collecting printouts and getting documents photocopied.
5. When the staff, especially the “relationship managers” aren’t dealing with a customer they literally just sit at their desk staring into the distance.

With the entire Guha family now in Kolkata meal times are a hoot and a bit cramped. But in an unique way, having everyone literally rubbing shoulders adds to the experience. Conversations are random, varied and, most times, hilarious with loud fits of laughter.

After lunch we took a drive down to Uttarapan, which is the poor cousin of Dakshinapan, and has handicrafts and traditional clothing from each of the various states in India. The shopping complex is huge but depressing as most of the shops are shuttered. The ones that are open are staffed by, what can only be described as, minimum wage public servants, with no desire to engage with the customers. I guess an advantage of not having shop keepers keen to upsell is that they don’t launch at you the moment you walk through the door. Inspite of it all, the goods for sale are unique and of great quality. We ended up getting a poncho/shawl for Emily, a few shirts for Ben (with traditional prints), and a couple of handbags. It is quite fascinating to see the different types of prints, and material from the different parts of the country. Moreover the handiwork with some of the embroidery and carvings is quite exquisite. Mimi dropped by as well and we wandered through the shops together taking in the sights.

For dinner we visited Bunty’s house which is always a great experience. We took a couple of cars as we wouldn’t all fit into one and hit the roads at peak traffic (6pm), though I think its always peak traffic in Kolkata. The various fly-overs and bypasses greatly reduce the travel time but it seems over time the congestion catches up with it all. The kids love watching motorbike/scooter riders and how they weave through traffic. They are amazed that some are on their phones or even carrying luggage on the bikes. Dinner, as is always the case at Buntys, was a grand affair with a number of dishes ranging from palak paneer, goat curry to fish fry and dahi vada. All finished off with 3 flavours of ice cream which was devoured by the kids.