Entry for May 3, 2007
It has been a very long time since I've written. I've been very boring lately. First things first. I have a personal driver that has been assigned to me for the entire 6 weeks. Same guy everyday. So I work 5pm - 2am. Every night when I come out he is sleeping in the car. No big deal, I'd be sleeping too if I had to sit and wait for someone for 9-10 hours. The bad part is that it's about 100 degrees even at night. And it's 10 times more humid than in St. Louis. So I knock on the window and he wakes up, I open the door. No air conditioning has been on. Condensation has built up and the fresh aroma of FEET fills my nostrils. He sleeps with his shoes off in the hot humid stuffy car with the doors and windows closed. I about puked. This has happened every night for 10 days. Now I open the door and act like I'm tying my shoe or something to give the car time to get the feet smell out of it. It's unbearable. I've learned to not breath until we're about 20 minutes away. Sorry for that tantrum, but how would you feel if you had to smell fresh feet after a hard days work. I took a trip to Delhi this past weekend. I went to visit the Taj Mahal. I checked out of the beach resort to move into the Park Sheraton. I woke up late and almost missed my flight to Delhi. I lied to the beach resort and told them I had business in another state. Then I realized I have to go back there in a few weeks for a businees dinner. Hopefullly they don't remember me. That's what I get for lying. So I get on the domestic plane to Delhi. I was expecting a plane from the Indiana Jones movie with all these locals. It was one of the nicest planes I have flown coach on. I was the only white person on the plane though. Watched the cricket world cup and saw Australia win for the 3rd time in a row. I know everyone back home was watching. Woke up early to drive to the Taj. It took almost 5 hours. My butt hurt so bad. The driver pulled over in the middle of the road got out and I still don't know what he was doing. These 2 guys with monkeys on a stick came up to the window. I took pictures and then the 2 men asked for 500 rupees ($12) each for taking the picture. Good deal. I think the monkey guys and my driver were incahoots. Driving to the Taj Mahal I saw a camel just walking down the road. I saw monkeys walking down the road. And I saw this kid pushing a cart of poop down the street. Our driver couldn't speak a lick of English but his cell phone kept ringing. The ringtone was Lil' Jon. Picture an Indian guy saying "Yeahhhhh Ohhhkay". It was funny to me. The Taj Mahal was sureal. You see it on TV but to actually be standing there was crazy. Drove back and again my butt hurt so bad. Got to the airport and the plane was delayed 3.5 hours. I was pissed. Finally got back to the hotel to check in. I had a twin bed. I wanted a queen or king. So they were going to switch me the next morning. Didn't happen. Few days later go a new room. Nice bed but by the road. Constant honking 24 hours a day. I couldn't sleep or even watch TV. Changed rooms again. 5th time. Nice bed, quiet, overlooking the pool. But a smoking room. It's making me sick. I may have to move for the sixth time in 4 weeks. I got my haircut today. I was really scared, but it was getting long. A dude cut it. If they can't even kiss on the cheek, I don't think a girl can cut my hair. So he actually did a great job cutting my hair. He brushed off the hair and I was about to get up. Then he started running his fingers through my hair. I was a little taken back by that. Then he continued to massage my scalp then my shoulders. This went on for like 10 minutes. I felt bad. I felt like I was cheating on my horse back riding guy. It was weird. A haircut with a happy ending. My team took some phone calls at work today. They were so bad their accents were awful. One girl used an American name when she answered. She called herself Julie. They guy that called laughed and said "yeah right". Practice makes perfect. I went to go up to my room the other night and I walked passed this couple sitting by the elevator. I went to get into the elevator and didn't realize there was a step. I totally tripped bit the big one and basically fell into the elevator. I felt really dumb they both saw me. I got into the elevator and realized that elevator couldn't take me to my room. I couldn't get out and walk past them again. So I went up 1 floor and thought I could take the stairs. So I walk down the stairs and there they are sitting again. I ran back up the stairs. I walked all over trying to find a way back down. Couldn't find any way. So I had to take the elevator back down to where they were sitting and walk past them. I was humiliated. It was funny. I bought tickets for Spiderman 3 at their version of an Imax theater. I'm taking my stinking feet driver as a token of my appreciation. My appreciation for not washing his feet for months and months then taking his shoes off and sleeping in the hot closed up air tight car. Man it's gross. Only 15 more days! Hope everyone is doing good.