I wrote a blog a while back about questions you should ask before you come to India, I have another one to add to the list: ask if there will always be running water.
When the guy picked me up from the airport he was talking about how advanced Ahmedabad was because the homes will always have power, no matter what day, no matter what time there will always be lights. I was trying to look excited about always having electricity…I come from America where we also always have lights so this wasn’t like a big thing for me. Well what he failed to mention (and I would soon find out he failed to mention a lot of things) was that while Ahmedabad may always have power, this city doesn’t not always have water. So imagine my surprise when after a hard day work (and by work I mean I taught some English then proceeded to sweat profusely for the rest of the day for no apparent reason), and I come back to the hostel and all I want to do is wash the gross lingering funk off of myself, but THERE IS NO WATER. I stand in disbelief and think ok maybe it’s just this faucet (at this point im starting to get a little delirious), so I try the next one, and the next one…until all the faucets have been tried but there is still no water. I almost had a break down. That night I washed with the rest of the water in my half full water bottle. Needless to say I was not very clean and I was thoroughly over it.
O and NBD or anything but there were a couple elephants walking down the street the other day…I went outside...I got to pet them:
I mean we pretty much became instant BFF’s, I named the 1st one Turquoise and 2nd one Lobster. Don’t question me.
Before I came to India I went thrifting and bought quite a few horrendous looking skirts. I bought them because they were long and I could wear them in India, but I made no plans of returning to the US with them. Well this morning I had a brilliant idea (I don’t have many, so when I get one run with it), ask one of the girls in the embroidery class to make one of my awful (and awfully long) skirts into a pair of shorts! The print is super cool it’s just the skirt is horrid. I was so excited and I was trying to make sure she understood what I wanted…I’m not 100% sure the message translated…so I’m either going to get back a super cool pair of shorts or she’s just going to cut my ugly skirt…I’ll find out soon enough.
In case anyone was wondering, NO the language barrier between the interns has NOT improved. Here’s the conversation that happened this morning with one of my dear French speaking friends. (bear in mind this is how I heard the conversation)
French speaking friend: What’s is Pinot Noir?
Me: It’s a type of wine.
French speaking friend: it’s what?
Me: Wine! it’s Wine!
French speaking friend: is it like the things you see out of?
Me: What in the world are you talking about? It’s vino, wine…it’s wine.
French speaking friend: no no no (and I’m writing this like she pronounced it) VINOCULERS!!
Me: are you kidding me? Binoculars? Yes, it’s the things you see out of.
French speaking friend: ok, thank you!
Me: Lord have mercy.
The thing about it is, this kind of conversation is normal.
Pinot Noir is wine,
Leigh
You are absolutely silly!!!!
ReplyDeleteI saw on CNN today that India has a major water shortage problem and that some areas get water only three days a week. However the monsoons are supposed to be soon--I think. Sometimes I don't understand what you are saying either.
ReplyDeleteDad
it's not problem this country has a water shortage now is it? all i've ever wanted was to be clean...am i asking for too much???? YES YOU DO YOU ALWAYS UNDERSTAND ME! Don't be rude.
DeleteAnother great story Dear! I'd love to see the pants when she's done! Your conversation reminds me somewhat of the Tower of Babel (in Genesis)! A bunch of phycho-babel...but somehow, we still get it!! loving it!!
ReplyDelete