Aila!!!

The cyclone that was always predicted to hit Kolkata but never came every Monsoon since I have been here, finally came through on Monday. 

So I have made a list of 5 things not to do when hit by a cyclone, as I have learnt my lesson:

1. Don't shift into a new place on the day the cyclone

2. Don't take the roads in Kol in the worst affected place as you have protestants blocking the roads against the power failure

3. Don't work for the local electric supply co as the power and water deprived citizens might become extremely violent to the technicians

4. Don't wear good formal clothes to office on such days cos you might need to walk back home as none of the taxis, autos and rickshaws would be willing to take you back home.

5. Don't haggle with the taxis and autos. Its their day today.

Things that I noticed when I made the valiant effort to reach office yesterday but couldn't make it

9 AM All roads were blocked in the area that I happened to pick as my dwelling place for the next 3-6 months (hopefully this does not get extended!)

11 AM Taxis were unwilling to take you anywhere. Finally the one that agrees takes you through the longest possible route. Then you are stuck in a Bypass as the protestants create a road block to restore power at their homes. If you don't allow the traffic to pass how do you expect to restore normalcy after the biggest cyclone in 100 years.

12 PM A couple of youngsters desperately trying to reach their destination to take the university exams. And all that I could do was provide a lift to the nearest place from a metro station.

3 pm The road blocks were conveniently removed and the power didn't return either. So did it pay off that the roads were blocked.

6 PM People shopping for their daily rations in the most crowded market of the worst affected area. The power is still not restored.

So that leaves a couple of questions in my mind:

i) did it pay off that the roads were blocked?

ii) did it help that we kept on cursing the electric supply company?

iii) did we respond as an united community in the face of the worst disaster in recent times for the local population?

Aila! I getting all ......