India Day 10-14 (Trip 1 - 10.20-24.2008)

So, I have been trying to get used to the night shift at work. I am used to everything except for the fact that when I should be sleeping, I am wanting to talk to peeps back home. Not only that, but going back to a regular schedule after the weekend is killer. Things at the office continue to go well though. Every day I look forward to working with my team. Since not too much happens during the week I have decided to lump this week into one blog.

So, maybe I will start with some of the things that frustrate me at the office on a daily basis:

Getting an internet connection on the first try is like pulling teeth
I don’t have access to a fax machine and phone lines are scarce….
The chairs are uncomfortable and I have already ripped my pants on one of the loose metal pieces that protrude.

Okay, that is enough complaining for now.

The highlights of the week were the trips into the office. For the most part it was only Allen, Ashlee and myself and for some reason the conversations usually leaned toward alcohol. The drive to work continues to be over an hour long so you can imagine how thirsty we are by the time we get to work! On Tuesday, we had had it and wanted some mimosa’s. It was a pretty good day at work so we decided to order some champagne with breakfast. At first we were told no, not until 11am.:( We were bummed, but after a short while the waiter came around with a bottle of bubbly for our enjoyment. We picked up glasses of freshly squeezed OJ from the breakfast bar and enjoyed the drinks and conversation.

Ashlee decided to pick up the tab and later learned that the bottle actually cost $140! :( We couldn’t believe it. We could see if maybe it came from the champagne region of France but it didn’t and a bottle like this would’ve only been about $20 or 900 rupees. Needless to say, Allen and I insisted on splitting the bill and we learned a good lesson. Now the joke around the office is “did you get some champagne?”

 

As the week went on I continued to find myself completely in love with my team. Each day passed I find myself closer to the peeps here. We have been playing daily games, or breakaways where we just have fun for about a half an hour. On Wednesday my team was asked to write some quick thoughts about cockroaches. They really took it seriously and some wrote mini essays and/or poems. I laughed my ass off at some of them. Here are a couple of my favs…

From Nanjappa…

Cockroach with their tiny legs and long mush looks just like another rockstar! They are the one kind of species I is love, admire, the most. To tell you my first crush was a cockroach, her name was Crox!! Nevertheless I love Crox soup it tastes awesome with the tomato ketchup! On the whole Cockroach rocks! Crox Crox Crox (love you)

This one was fn great. Hearing him say it was hilarious too. And btw, everyone here loves ketchup. It isn’t the same as we know it though. Ketchup on pizza, sandwiches, and rolls = very strange indeed.

From Srinivas

Cockroaches

These are the very best nocturnal creatures on earth

I love them as they doesn’t harm anyone

I really like them as they are white blooded

They look ugly but may taste good

They are natural scavengers

From Anish

“this name deriven from the Latin word.” (hahahaha – ok!)

They are most commonly found in restaurants and homes. Cockroach can damage food, books, and clothing. And it’s very irritating creature. I don’t like cockroaches. So whenever I see them I need to kill them.

(best part) moral of the story “cockroaches are like Mansi!”

Anyhoo, I guess you had to be there. :)

I am loving my stay at the Hotel. It's absolutely beautiful. 5 starts in every way! Pictures taken by the pool at the Taj (credit for beautiful photos goes to Allen Wolf)

 

 

 

 

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As the week went on my anticipation for my second hot seat (a hot seat is where you have to sit in a chair at the front of the room, in a room full of people. They all get to ask any question and the person in the hot seat has to answer). This time Allen got it on video. Not too many wild questions were asked and I didn’t have to sing this time. It is great to see everyone so interested. Almost how everyone wants to take “snaps” (pictures) with me. So I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel somewhat like a celebrity. ;)

The week at the hotel was pretty nice. I sent off for my first laundry service, which only ended up being a little less than two loads. I got the bill back and it was about $60! Sheesh! I couldn’t believe it. But just like the champagne everything is triple in cost here. I continue to get the daily slips under my door about how my privacy light was on so my mini bar couldn’t be refilled, or my fruit and cookies couldn’t be replaced. One thing that is comforting here is the people. I have started to become a familiar face around here and people either know my room number by heart or my name. It is nice. The bug bites are continuing. As of the end of this week I had nine. The older one’s have scarred and I did manage to get some cream for them so I wouldn’t scratch the hell out of them anymore. Doesn’t work so good though.

So, as Friday approached, I became really excited. This weekend a shopping trip is planned to Commercial street. I am on the hunt for a Saree for the upcoming Diwali festival. Also, Sunday we are going to Mysore.

Stay tuned!