Entertainment on the move: Most buses and trucks have cheeky messages painted on their rear. With the waiting time at signals getting longer, the innovative one-liners bring more relief. Jealousy is a common theme. This one says “Ek phool teen maali, Howrah lot, Metiabruz khali; Jalne wale jalta rahega, 1696 chalta rahega. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

There’s a shortage of both loose change and good manners in the city. If your taxi fare comes to Rs 57 and you give the cabbie Rs 60, nine out of 10 times, you won’t get the balance back. In some stretches, it’s mandatory to declare your “loose change status” before jumping into an autorickshaw.

Recently, when a Metro commuter realised she only had 100 rupee notes in her wallet, she panicked. At the counter, she sheepishly fished out Rs 100. The man raised his head, scowled and barked: “Ki, change nei?” (Don’t you have any change?) She could only shake her head sadly. “Here, take your ticket and change,” he said. As she was thankfully collecting the notes and coins, he added: “Chhele holey ditam na!” (Had you been a man, I wouldn’t have given you the change). Chivalry or gender discrimination?

Work ditties

It’s not heard often enough in Calcutta. So much so that many GeNext members may not have heard it at all. But earlier, labourers, doing heavy jobs together, would often sing when they worked. As they pushed boulders down a road, or rolled a huge log across to a building site, they would sing in short, rhythmic beats: “Maaro jawan haio, dam lagake haio”. Sometimes, it wouldn’t be just such rhythmic outburts, but little songs with more music. But technology killed all that. So it was a surprise the other day when one saw labourers at work over a long stretch on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, who were singing. And this time, they were using technology to their benefit — their song was on loudspeakers. The music in our hearts we bore — long after it was heard no more.

Bamboos and Bihu

One puja is trying to incorporate Assam wholesale into its pandal. Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore has procured almost an entire forest.

“We have brought 11,000 special bamboos of six varieties from Assam to erect the pandal. The pandal, the idol, the food and stalls will all depict the essence of Assam, especially the flowing Brahmaputra river and Bihu songs which form the core of the state,” says Aroop Biswas, a Trinamul MLA and the puja president.

Even the Assamese chief minister may be in the offing. “The Assam government has been a great help all along and the puja is scheduled to be inaugurated by Tarun Gogoi and other senior ministers of the state. There will be a tourism stall of Assam as well,” said Biswas.

We are waiting for a Goa-themed Puja.

Walk, man

CalWalks, a team of young Calcuttans who organise walks in the city, is in a generous mood. They are giving away walks free in October. If interested, check out their website www.calcuttawalks.com.

(Contributed by Samhita L. Chakraborty and Jayanta Basu )