two rupees change?

As much as i loved living in Kolkata, there were some things that could annoy me. (i think that's normal). For example, when you go to a restaurant, they NEVER give you enough menus. with a group of 5, you usually get 2 menus. i just don't get that. Personal space is also very different in Kolkata...pretty much there is none, especially on a crowded bus or metro. There is always room for one more person on a bench, even if there really isn't! And while i was in Kolkata i felt like i was always playing (and losing) this "game" of always having enough small money. (10 and 20 rupee bills, or change). I'd plan in advance where i could break a 500 Rs bill, and even that didn't always work. Sometimes we'd break money as a team, like we'd pay for our lunch bill all together, and whoever had the "big money" paid, and we each paid that person. i was constantly looking to see if i had enough small bills pay for rickshaw and bus rides home, and back into the city the next day.

Sometimes in stores, or restaurants where you would think they'd have enough money to break a big bill, they wouldn't. And, everyone else in the city is also playing this "small money" game, which often leads a rickshaw driver, waiter, or store owner to ask for "two rupees change?" (for example, you buy something that is 12 Rs, you give them 20 Rs, they say, "2 Rs change?" so they don't have to give you their coins). Sometimes i got annoyed by that, and would think things like, "this is a business - how do you not have change for me? its not my problem if you don't have change" - but it actually was, cause then i couldn't buy what i needed Sometimes i didn't have change. sometimes i did have change, but i wouldn't give it to them. sometimes i just gave them the 2 Rs change before they could even ask for it.

Well, the other day i had a bit of a flashback. i was in a gas stations picking up some combos as a little snack for my long drive, but i only had a 20 dollar bill, and i thought it was a bit strange that i was about to buy 69 cent combos with a $20.00 - and then i thought, "oh no, what if they can't make change - what if i can't buy my combos cause all i have is a $20?" and then i remembered i was in America - where businesses go to the bank to get change, where you can pay with pretty much whatever currency you want, where most people (myself included) hardly every actually carry cash, where you can buy "small" things with "large" bills. And it was a funny moment to me - a flashback to India, a brief moment of "panic" all cause i wanted combos. (which by the way tasted very good, and you can't buy in India!).