Settling in
IMed with Faith this morning, and she gave me lots of sight-seeing destinations--or, better than that, places it would just be pleasant to go--and kept me company until, coincidentally, Jonathan logged on, and I got to hear my sweetheart's voice over Skype. Both were very rejuvenating and appreciated. Oh, and Aaron said hi and cheered me up, before Faith found me. My night-owl friends, with nothing to do on a Friday night. Bless.
***
I threw caution to the wind and had a lassi. It was yummy. We'll find out later how unwise this may have been...
***
My expedition for food, water, rupees, and sun was marginally successful.
I located the Pinxx "coffeeshop," which serves a full buffet of food, and had lunch. I broke a few travel clinic rules, but what the heck. I can't go to India and not eat.
Bill asked at the front desk and got us a few more bottles of water sent up. (I need to get comfortable with asking for that.) At the desk, Bill was able to change US cash into rupees. I've been looking for an ATM, to withdraw rupees using my corporate card, but I've got dollars. Maybe I'll go down there myself. Later.
As far as sun goes, I found some lovely places off the lobby, and the temperature is beautiful. We tried to walk around the outside of the building, but an auto-rickshaw driver hounded us relentlessly until we gave up, after barely turning the first corner of the building's perimeter. I let Bill do all the talking (the driver only addressed him anyway), and I thought he was unambiguously firm, but this guy dogged us until we fled.
It's hard to integrate what feels so much like harassment as "cultural differences."
***
The most loneliness-inducing aspect is the dissonance between sitting in breezy mid-afternoon sunshine while your LJ Friends page and your buddy list languish in desolate middle-of-the-night inactivity. The 80s music in the lobby is awfully surreal.
***
By the way, all the officials in the airport were wearing leather shoes. I needn't have worried.
*** 1/21
By 4pm I was seeing double, so I slept, intermittently (sometimes with the BBC's Animal Planet on), from 5pm until Shashank called me at 6:45 am for breakfast. I'm now showered and ready to eat. I feel good.
With nothing to distract me from working, reading, or sleeping, this trip might actually be good for me.
The roads were quiet when I awoke at 3:45 am, but they have reassuringly returned to their incessant symphony here at 7:30 am. (And, like all developers, I have missed my estimate of being ready in 30 minutes.) Time for breakfast!
***
I threw caution to the wind and had a lassi. It was yummy. We'll find out later how unwise this may have been...
***
My expedition for food, water, rupees, and sun was marginally successful.
I located the Pinxx "coffeeshop," which serves a full buffet of food, and had lunch. I broke a few travel clinic rules, but what the heck. I can't go to India and not eat.
Bill asked at the front desk and got us a few more bottles of water sent up. (I need to get comfortable with asking for that.) At the desk, Bill was able to change US cash into rupees. I've been looking for an ATM, to withdraw rupees using my corporate card, but I've got dollars. Maybe I'll go down there myself. Later.
As far as sun goes, I found some lovely places off the lobby, and the temperature is beautiful. We tried to walk around the outside of the building, but an auto-rickshaw driver hounded us relentlessly until we gave up, after barely turning the first corner of the building's perimeter. I let Bill do all the talking (the driver only addressed him anyway), and I thought he was unambiguously firm, but this guy dogged us until we fled.
It's hard to integrate what feels so much like harassment as "cultural differences."
***
The most loneliness-inducing aspect is the dissonance between sitting in breezy mid-afternoon sunshine while your LJ Friends page and your buddy list languish in desolate middle-of-the-night inactivity. The 80s music in the lobby is awfully surreal.
***
By the way, all the officials in the airport were wearing leather shoes. I needn't have worried.
*** 1/21
By 4pm I was seeing double, so I slept, intermittently (sometimes with the BBC's Animal Planet on), from 5pm until Shashank called me at 6:45 am for breakfast. I'm now showered and ready to eat. I feel good.
With nothing to distract me from working, reading, or sleeping, this trip might actually be good for me.
The roads were quiet when I awoke at 3:45 am, but they have reassuringly returned to their incessant symphony here at 7:30 am. (And, like all developers, I have missed my estimate of being ready in 30 minutes.) Time for breakfast!