A trip to Kolkata
I spent the holiday season in Kolkata, West Bengal, visiting my significant other’s family. I was warned ahead of time that the trip would challenge me. I am not big on crowds, for example. I like things quiet and peaceful. Kolkata, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, is not those things I was told.
As much as I was warned about things I might not like, I was pleasantly surprised by all the things I did. The warmth of the people; the aromas and tastes of the food; the beauty of the rural West Bengal countryside; and most importantly, the exposure to the spirituality, intellectual curiosity and decency of the new friends and family I spent time with.
It’s probably nothing new to anyone who travels regularly, but I found myself enthralled by the new perspectives, both personal and historical, that I took in all around me. Surprise! The world doesn’t revolve around me and my Western biases, right?
The traffic and interwoven chaos of the streets took some getting used to. After I adjusted to the honks and free-wheeling ways of the drivers, I saw how what I took for recklessness at first glance gave way to an appreciation of how much everyone accommodated each other. Would I drive there? Heck no. But I gave a nod of respect to those who knew when to bob and when to weave and made it all work. And when it came to crossing the street, I did so knowing that as long as I didn’t suddenly change speeds or stop, the cars and motorcycles whizzing by would not hit me.
On the back of the mini-auto taxis that peppered the streets was a message. “Obey all traffic rules.” The script used made “rules” look more like “ruses” and I felt that made it a more accurate message given what was going on all around me.
It was a great trip. I shot video when I could and put together a short travel video. I guess that makes me a vlogger now! I shot it using a DJI Action 2 camera. It’s billed as a vlogging camera and comes with many accessories that make it useful for shooting on the go. Its best features are the Rocksteady and Horizon stabilization options. Its 4K resolution and cinematic settings make it easy to take quality footage. I look forward to using this camera again.
Happy new year everyone! As always, if you are looking to develop a content plan for your company or want to talk about ways to use video to amplify your brand or organization. Reach out. I would love to hear from you
Sasha
The legendary sweet shops of Kolkata, sinfully decadent and omnipresent all over the city
