i took an auto to the train station to sort my train ticket out. what a nightmare!
i went to the foreign reservation office on the 1st floor. i told him my situation. that i was on the waiting list for a train to Calcutta the next day and wanted to check if it was worth cancelling and getting a different train. he handed me a sheet and said "cancel". he walked over to his friend and started chatting.
he didn't answer my question or in no way was this helping. he didn't even give me a pen. my temper flared. what the fuck, was what i was thinking but said,
"CAN I GET SOME HELP!?"
they both looked at me in shock and the man came back over.
"you didn't even give me a pen."
he gave me a pen. i explained to him in a little more detail of what i wanted to know.
he was a little more understanding. he told me of an earlier train the next day that was available and he even cancelled my previous train for me.
"great, put me on it".
he told me to pay him 1700rs. i showed him that i wanted to pay with a photocopy of a credit card. he wrote down window #47 on second floor. i proceeded there. the lady said i couldn't use a photocopy here and would have to go all the way up to the 9th floor to the IRCTC office. i took the elevator up. i went in and told them i needed to pay for this train with this photocopy of a credit card. she said they didn't handle booking. FUCK.
"what do you mean? i was specifically told to come here." i tried to say calmly.
she told me to go to the foreign reservation office on the first floor.
i lost it. i won't go into detail of what i yelled.
i said to hell with it to the useless train station.
i took an auto back to the guesthouse. i took matters into my own hands and booked the train on the internet. simple as that. easy.

i went off in search of a new camera. i found a place that were going to bring me a Nikon FE2 at around 5pm for me to check out. sure.
i decided to go see Spencer Plaza. an Indian shopping centre/mall. i took an auto there. the mall was huge. 4 floors of mazes and secret passages. a labyrinth of shops and restaurants. lots of foreigners whom i assumed lived in Chennai with their parents working abroad. they weren't tourists. they spoke like the type of people that would spend time in mall's all day like the one's in Canada.
i wandered around. i don't know what i was looking for. nothing perhaps. nike, reebok, levi's, converse and adidas stores. book shops. optometrists. foodcourt.
i hate to admit it but i ate at subway. i had to try it. it was the same setup as any other subway just indian style sandwiches and also classic western ones.
in had the chicken tikka sub on italian herbs and cheese. toasted. all the fixings.
it wasn't bad.
i went into this 3 floor department store. there was so many things i wanted to buy. so many good presents. but i restrained myself.
i left and started walking back to the guesthouse. it was dark i stopped at a few eyewear shops. tried on some sunglasses and some frames. i figured i could splurge on things the day before i leave.
i came across a glowing sign that said bar. like an angel. it seduced me.
the bar was called submarine. i sat at a table in the dark. it was more of a club. there were lasers and loud music. no one danced though. the drink menu has a stripper on the front. i looked around for a stage, thinking it was strip club. it obviously wasn't. what was i thinking. there wasn't even a single woman to be seen. i drank 3 super strong Kingfishers and ate the snacks(cucumber, cornflakes and masala peanuts).
no need for dinner. i got drunk. on the tv they were playing Anaconda 3 or something. i shouldn't of drank so much since i had to get up early for the train. i looked at my watch and it was only 7.
i went to the camera shop and they had the camera for me. it was in excellent condition. they were asking like 12,000rs(200$) for it though! screw that.
there had to be some cameras in Calcutta, i thought.
i went back to my room and fell asleep.

the man knocked on my door at 7am like i asked him to.
it was raining out. i had a cold shower and ate a peanut butter sandwich.
i took a rickshaw to the train station that i despised so much. but this time was more pleasant. i went to the platform of which my train was already there. i found my name on a list that directed me to my compartment. i went inside and found my seat.
i decided to treat myself with 2AC since the duration of the trip was 28 hours.. very spacious and comfortable.
the train ride was great. sat with 2 Punjabi men. was was older and one was younger. they were partners. international businessmen or something. they were just in China and Singapore. also sat with another man who referred to me as "Canada friend".
i did the usual things one might do on a long train journey.
the guy that called me "Canada friend" smuggled a bottle of whiskey on board.
we drank in our compartment and shared snacks. they told vulgar jokes.
we all passed out.
woke up early in the morning.
i didn't have a cigarette for 36 hours, i realized. the train stopped for a bit and i hopped off for my fix.
a baby was wrapped in a saari hanging from a tree with a woman swinging it back and forth.
the train started moving and i hopped back on.
we arrived in Calcutta at 12pm. i went to the prepaid taxi stand and told them where i wanted to go(Sudder st.) i got in the cab and off we drove to Sudder st. i told him the salvation army was where i wanted to go to exactly. he told me that it was no longer there. stupid lonely planet book.
Calcutta is another planet.