Today has been declared a strike day by a bunch of labor unions in India. I’m told this happens 2 or 3 times a year. The hotel staff and my contacts here are telling me to stay at my hotel all day because no transportation is running and in case any demonstrations turn into mobs. So far it looks pretty peaceful out, but it’s still early here. (India is not an early-to-rise culture, which suits me very well.)

I want to go see the rural area around Kolkata today if I can find a way to get there and back. The rest of my visit will be devoted to spending time with my business contacts, so this is my last chance to explore. For those of you back home who worry about me (you know who you are), I promise I’ll be careful.

[P.S. I ended up staying in my hotel all day. Nobody would take me anywhere for fear of the unions. So the strike turned out to be more like a cold war than a mob. The city is back in business today.]

I spent 8 hours today with a professional tour guide seeing Kolkata. I asked to see the real city, and we did. Here are a few photos from today.

A man in the flower market. These fresh flowers are used as decorations for weddings and other events.

Only when you've driven in a city like this can you appreciate how laughable these words are. There is precisely zero obedience to the traffic laws here.

We had lunch at a Bengali restaurant run out of a rescue mission. The residents work there and benefit from the proceeds. The upper-left is a whole fish, which I ate while thinking of the horribly dirty river I saw earlier. You only live once right? So far I'm feeling fine.

This is a clay sculpture in progress. I'd name it 'Cracked Man' and keep it as is.

As my tour continued and I become more used to the normal sights of this place, I started taking more pictures of faces. This boy was walking by our car while we were stuck in traffic.

In the flower market. Everyone is staring because I'm the conspicuous white guy with the big camera. People live in their market stalls. It's a smelly and cramped place. As I was contemplating the sub-human living conditions in front of me, my guide said, 'Ok, now we will go see the slums.'

I got here safe and sound late last night. After a 24-hour travel process and a midnight mad-dash taxi ride to my hotel, I’m just here. I haven’t stepped into the real life of the city yet. So far being me here feels a lot like being me anywhere. I wonder if that will change today.

Downtown Kolkata in the Morning

For the next week I’ll be on a trip to Kolkata, India. In the past year my acoustic panels company started buying textiles directly from India. Now I’m going to India to meet the people who own and work in those factories. I’m going there to strengthen long-distance business relationships, and to learn about things completely outside my experience up to now.

For me, going to such a faraway place knowing so little of what I will experience comes with a dose of fear. My cautious brain tells me I don’t know what I’m getting into, and I don’t have the competencies to skillfully navigate the culture and circumstances I’ll encounter. For me, fear is always a part of horizon-expanding experiences, and that gives way to increased confidence on the other side.

So I’m going, not with bravado but with determination to live bravely. I struggle in the conflict, but bottom line I want to grow more than I want to feel comfortable.

Stay tuned. I’ll post stories, pictures, and thoughts from Kolkata as I’m able.

I’m a bigger believer than ever in the wisdom of many counselors. Getting connected to the experience and outside perspectives of others is just crucial for growth and success.

In this process I’ve noticed a need to strike the right balance in response to input received. It’s a balance between two immature extremes.

The first extreme is the teenage rebellion of stubbornly resisting input. It’s a lack of humility, or a need to be right all the time. This extreme defeats the purpose of having counselors, and will frustrate everyone involved. If you want a cheerleader who never pushes back and never has superior insights, you will miss the stretching and growing that comes from a good coach.

The opposite extreme is the child-like awe of accepting everything your advisor says without questioning. It’s idealizing your mentor or doubting yourself to the point you’re afraid to differ with anything they say. Sometimes this shows up as seeking to imitate the entire style of one individual, without holding on to your own unique strengths and personality.

The balanced response is adulthood, being able to listen openly, willing to yield when appropriate, and able to maintain a separation of thought and style.

I’ve received advice that blew me away with what I’d been missing, and I’m glad I embraced it. I’ve received advice that upon reflection just didn’t fit my style or my goals, and I’m glad I disregarded it.

It’s not only wise to make those yea or nay decisions, it’s your responsibility as an adult.