First World Problems

• The edges of my toast got all burnt this morning
• This YouTube video is taking so long to load
• My co-workers’ loud cell phone ringtones are driving me nuts
• Brushing my teeth with bottled water is so awkward
• Only one of my microwave buttons works
• The Tropicana juice I’m drinking is from concentrate
• I have no washing machine and dryer in my room

I have yet to actually visit Delhi (I’ve just been bumming around my neighborhood across the river in Ghaziabad so far, giving myself a gentle, step-by-step introduction to India big city life) so I suspect these problems will seem increasingly “first world” the longer I’m here.

(Totally stole this pic)

I have the History Channel. The show “American Pickers” is on TV right now (about the two dudes who buy junk from people’s yards around the country and resell it at a profit). It is dubbed into Hindi, then subtitled back into English. Random. But an excellent way to practice Hindi! (And Hindi numbers since they are always talking prices.)

On next week’s agenda: get water delivered regularly. The hotel is giving me a bottle of water every day. Gah the waste. And gah, the lack of a backup I’ll have if there is suddenly a water shortage.

Speaking of water shortages… in a place where shortages could be a problem, it is interesting that they use a bidet (water-squirty-thing-to-clean-your-bottom) at the toilet. Hmmm. In any case, I’ve decided to start using it and I’m sort of getting the hang of it! It’s kind of refreshing and less messy than I would have imagined. It must be really weird if you grew up using these and then had to switch to only toilet paper.