25 things to do while in India (a.k.a the reason they invented chocolate !)
on Jen's Indian Adventure (India), 02/Apr/2010 05:15, 34 days ago
Disclaimer: This list was written as a Word doc when the author was having a very bad day, but now sees the funny side of it and has put it on her blog. Therefore no correspondence will be entered into etc etc etcWaiting.Waiting.Waiting.Taking a deep breath when your internet service provider promises you internet reconnection in one hour and eight hours later you’re still waiting.Trying not to scream when your internet service provider tells you for the seventh time in ten days you have used your monthly download allowance when you’re only calling to explain you will pay them if they provide some more.Laughing out loud when your internet service provider asks you to email a request for more download when your internet is down and that’s why you’re speaking with them in the first place. (Note to self – don’t download during day time hours anymore. Not worth the hassle)Smiling when you’re with a group of people who refuse to speak English when you’re with them even though you don’t speak their language and they all speak English fluently.Getting used to the idea that the shop assistants have to go through your shopping bags before you leave the shop even though they know what they contain as they have packed them only ten seconds earlier.Trying to understand how men find it acceptable to urinate in the street without any sense of the need to be discrete (I say discrete as expecting it not to happen at all is not an option).Trying to understand why people spit in the street, constantly. (ditto)Trying to understand why motorbike drivers have to practically drive over you even though there’s nothing else on the road apart from you and them.Holding on for dear life when your auto driver chooses to drive against four lanes of traffic in morning rush hour to get you to the office in the fastest possible time (the alternative and safer route would add a whole 30 seconds extra to the journey).Trying to work out why auto drivers at the other side of the road, going in the opposite direction, with passengers already, stop on the road and wait for you to cross even though you have made no indication to them that you intend using an auto - it’s a lovely cool evening and walking is just fine, thank you.Pretending not to notice men staring at you.Accepting that it’s ok now and then to lose your cool with the more obvious ones (although I don’t think the four guys who got off their motorbikes a few weeks ago to stare understood I was being sarcastic when I decided to do a little pirouette in front of them). Now I just wear my sunglasses andstare back.Accepting that no matter what time you go to bed you’re going to wake at 5.30am as all your neighbours are on a different timetable to you.Understanding that the answer‘yes’ is just a three letter word with little meaning.Accepting that when you book a maintenance man to come to your apartment (having waited six weeks already) and been promised a particular time, he’s not actually going to turn up.WaitingWaitingAccepting that being sweaty is ok.Travelling nearly 10km (and maybe 15km depending on availability) across town just to buy toilet paper.Accepting that your local‘bakery’ never actually has any bread when you go in to buy some.Drinking water. Lots.Oh yeah– and WAITINGThe moral of the story?Patience is truly a virtue.