I am off to Kolkata tomorrow. Normally a trip to my favorite city in India would be a welcome event.  But tomorrow, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called for a general strike. 

I nearly called off the trip. I set two guidelines for traveling: 1- that the State Department had not issued a travel advisory and that the hotel would send a car to the airport to pick me up.  I had to change hotels, but both conditions were met.

The plan is to fly in, hurry to the car and get to the hotel quickly, without running into a protest or rally. Then hang out in the hotel and wait out the strike.  Our office, and our vendor office will be closed on Thursday, on account of it being too dangerous for staff to travel to the office.

Shawn