The ability to learn about other cultures by actually experiencing them through travel is undoubtedly a great gift. By actually perceiving first hand the aspects of a completely different society from yours will teach you more than any book could ever do, and it is for this reason that I genuinely believe that this "City of Joy" trip will be one of the most beneficial experiences you will have. Nevertheless, background knowledge of the place you are visiting would be advantageous in your journey to the fascinating Calcutta.

Calcutta can be known as "the city of contradictions" and this theme could actually be expanded to encompass all of India (Tharoor). The reason for this is although India is a land of much cultural richness and diversity and it is a home for many industries, it also has qualities that can be seen in an opposite light such as poverty, overpopulation, corruption, and intolerance to name a few. There are many aspects of India and Calcutta that you will encounter includ

Despite its cultural richness, the city unfortunately has its flaws and along with the poverty and overpopulation there exists corruption in politics. This is the situation for basically the rest of India as well. There are several internal problems facing the fifty-two year old Republic, the most destructive of which is corruption, which is ever-present. Politicians, bureaucrats, minor functionaries in government offices, and even the policeman on the road are all susceptible to this vice. Those who do not yield are really "the honorable exceptions". It is because of them that the country moves forward at all, despite the adverse effect of all-pervasive corruption. Corrupt politicians indulge in immoral practices to raise funds for their party, to contest elections and distribute patronage and the spoils of office, and, of course, for personal enrichment. Many bureaucrats in control of vantage points of the economy and the administration seek unlawful gratification as payment for granting favors. Such transactions go on at all levels, generating a perpetual chain of corruption.

With all this information, the good and the bad, to guide you as you embark on an exploration of India, the advice I would give to you is to remain open-minded and realize while the area isn't perfect, it does have its good qualities as well as the potential to be better, especially with a younger generation, such as your group, who will through education and personal experience of this part of the world will be able to take the knowledge you gain from this trip and use it to benefit yourself, others, and perhaps even the country of India.

The history of the area has also greatly impacted the cultural aspect of Calcutta. It is known as the "cultural capital" of India, and this is in large part due to the fact that Calcutta was the former capital of British India and so it was fashioned by the colonial British in the manner of a grand European capital. The city is the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought and of Indian nationalism, and the efforts of its citizens to preserve Indian culture and civilization have no parallel in the rest of the country. The blending of Eastern and Western cultural influences over the centuries has stimulated the creat

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